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CAST UP BY THE SEA! 








CAST UP BY THE SEA 


BY 


SIR SAMUEL W. 


BAKER, M.A., F.R.G.S., 

\\ 


GOLD MEDALIST OF THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY ) GRANDE M^DAILLE D*OR 
DE LA SOCIETE DE GEOGRAPH IE DE PARIS ; 


AUTHOR OF THE “ALBERT N’YANZA GREAT BASIN OF THE NILE,” “ THE NILE 
TRIBUTARIES OF ABYSSINIA,” “THE RIFLE AND THE HOUND IN CEY- 
LON,” “EIGHT YEARS’ WANDERINGS IN CEYLON,” ETC., ETC. 


COMPLETE. 

WITH TEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY HUARD. 



HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 
NEW YORK AND LONDON, 


HARPER’S YOUNG PEOPLE SERIES 


ILLUSTRATED. EACH, SIXTY CENTS 


FRANCONIA STORIES ' 

By Jacob Abbott 
Agnes Mary Bell 

Beechnut Mary Erskin 

Caroline Rodolphus 

Ellen Linn Stuyvesant 

Malleville Wallace 

By W. L. Alden 
The Moral Pirates 
The Cruise of the “Ghost" 

The Cruise of the Canoe Club 
The Adventures of Jimmy Brown 
Jimmy Brown Trying to Find Europe 
A New Robinson Crusoe 

By James Barnes 
The Blockaders 

By William Black 
The Four Macnicols 

By Lewis Carroll 
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 
Alice Through the Looking-Glass 
The Hunting of the Snark 

By Col. W. F. Cody 
The Adventures of Buffalo Bill 
By P. De Musset 
Mr. Wind and Madam Rain 

By G. C. Eggleston 
Strange Stories from History 
By John Habberton 
Who Was Paul Grayson? 

By Mrs. W. J. Hays 
Prince Lazybones 
The Princess Idleways 

By W. J. Henderson 
Sea Yarns for Boys 

By George A. Henty 
In the Hands of the Cave-Dwellers 
By Ernest Ingersoll 
The Ice Queen 

By David Ker 
The Lost City 
Into Unknown Seas 

By Lucy C. Lillie 
Mildred’s Bargain 
Nan 

Jo’s Opportunity 

Rolf House 

Music and Musicians 

The Colonel’s Money 

The Household of Glen Holly 

Phil and the Baby 

The False Witness .* * • 

• O 

By L. B. Morse « «■ 
The Road to Nowhere ***’ 

By Miss Mulock 
Little Sunshine’s Holiday 
The Cousin from India 
Twenty Years Ago 


| Is It True? 

Miss Moore , 

An Only Sister 
The Little Lame Prince 
The Adventures of a Brownie S - J 




Z 


By Kirk Munroe 

Wakulla 

The Flamingo Feather 
Derrick Sterling 
Chrystal, Jack & Co. 

By James Otis 

Toby Tyler, or, Ten Weeks with a 
Circus 

Mr. Stubbs’s Brother 
Tim and Tip 
Raising the “Pearl" 

Silent Pete; or. The Stowaways 
Left Behind; or. Ten Weeks a News- 
boy 
Wanted 

The Roaring Lions. Illustrated. 

By George B. Perry 
Uncle Peter’s Trust 

Mrs. L. C. Pyrnelle 
Diddie, Dumps, and Tot 

By M. E. Sangster 
Little Knights and Ladies— Poems 
By W. O. Stoddard 
The Talking Leaves 
Two Arrows 
The Red Mustang 
In the Open 

By Sophie Swett 
Captain Polly 

STRANGE STORIES FROM 
AMERICAN HISTORY 
Strange Stories of Colonial Days 
Strange Stories of the Revolution 
Strange Stories of the War of 1812 
Strange Stories of the Civil War 

ADVENTURE SERIES 
Adventures of Uncle Sam’s Soldiers 
Adventures of Uncle Sam’s Sailors 
Adventures of Pirates 
Adventures with Indians 
Adventures at Sea 
Adventures in Field and Forest 
Adventures of School Life 

ATHLETIC SERIES 
On Track and Diamond 
On the Gridiron 
Boys on the Railroad 
Making Good 

The Runaway Flying-Machine 

By Various Authors 
The King of the Plains 
The Young Detective 
Tommy’s Money 


HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK 

Printed in the United States of America 


D-Q 


Since the publication of “ Albert N’yanza ” and the “ Nile 
Tributaries of Abyssinia,” I have received numerous letters 
from boys to whom I was enthely unknown, and who are at 
at this moment unknown to me except through their sponta? 
neous correspondence. Their letters were Written in the 
youthful enthusiasm of the moment, when, having shared in 
the excitement of our African journeys, they had closed the 
book, and, full of sympathy, they wrote to me effusions which 
I prize as the outburst of boyish admiration for a successful 
struggle with difficulties. 

As a proof of the value that I attach to these warm ex- 
pressions of interest taken by the young in our past adven- 
tures, I now dedicate to all boys (from eight years old to 
eighty) a story of fiction, combined with certain facts, that 
will, I trust, relieve the dreariness of a long Christmas even- 
ing. 

At the same time that I have endeavored to avoid all im- 
probabilities, I must apologize for having taken an astronom- 
ical liberty in producing an eclipse of the sun which is not in 
the almanac. 


S. W. BAKER. 






















































* 




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* 




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* • 


« « 








. ' • • m • » . 

» 
























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CONTENTS 


CHAPTER I. 

Sandy Cove. — The 19th of August, 1791. — A strange Figure. — Paul and 
Polly Grey. — Captain Smart. — The old Hag, Mother Lee. — Looking 
out for a Wreck. — A Ship in the Storm. — The Wreck. — A Prize cast 
up by the Sea for Polly Grey Page 17 

CHAPTER II. 

A Body from the Wreck. — Dr. Jones. — Paul and Polly examine their 
Prize. — Counsel of Dr. Jones 43 

CHAPTER III. 

Twelve Years after. — News for Mistress Grey. — A Smuggler’s Cave. — 
Polly watching for her Husband. — Mother Lee again. — Paul’s Danger 
on Sea. — His Arrival at Home. — Ned Grey. — His Account of the 
Voyage. — The Revenue Cutter on the Iron Rock. — Mother Lee’s 
fearful Revenge. — A Nigger Boy cast up. — Captain Smart boards the 


Polly . — The King’s Officer and the Smuggler 50 

CHAPTER IV. 

Ned Grey at School. — Edith Jones and Nero. — Jem Stevens. — Expelled 
from School. — His Fight with Ned Grey 77 


CHAPTER V. 

Choice of Business for Ned. — Edith and Ned in the Grave-yard. — A Love 
Scene interrupted by Mother Lee. — Ned’s Dream. — On the Beach 
with “Nigger Tim.” — A Man-of-war's Boat and Crew. — Friendly 
Offer to take in Ned and Tim. — Kidnaped for the King. — Tim’s Ac- 
count of his Rescue by Ned. — Under Canvas. — Meeting with Ste- 

92 


Yens 


X 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER VI. 

Polly Grey watching the Man-of-war’s Boat. — The Search for Ned.— 
Constables in Possession at Paul Grey’s. — Murder of Rector Jones. 
— His last Words, “ Ned Grey.” — Dreadful Charge against the absent 
Ned. — Mother Lee divulges the Cave. — Seizure of the Smuggler’s 
Stores. — And of the Relics of the Wreck cast up by the Sea. — Arrival 
of Captain Smart. — Polly Grey and Edith Jones. — Damaging Evi- 
dence against Ned. — Verdict of Willful Murder against Paul and Ned 
Grey and Nigger Tim. — Apprehension of Mrs. Grey. — The Rectory. 
— Removal to Paul Grey’s Cottage. — More “Luck from the Sou’- 
west.” Page 108 


CHAPTER VII. 

Lugger and Cutter off Sandy Cove. — Mother Lee’s Stratagem. — The 
Fires lighted. — Mother Lee herself becomes a Signal Fire. — Her 
awful Death. — Polly Grey on the Cliff. — Joe Smart’s Account to 
Polly of his Cruise. — Joe’s Hopes and Fears. — Edith’s Visits to the 
Grave of the poor Lady cast up by the Sea 129 


CHAPTER VIII. 

Return to Paul on his Voyage to the French Coast. —Dick Stone’s Sus- 
picions. — The Frenchman’s Politeness. — Betrayed, and Prisoners. — 
A French Jail. — The Jailer’s Daughter. — Inquires for her Brother, 
a Prisoner in England. — Dick Stone’s Imposture, as a Stratagem of 
War. — Paul and Dick resolve debperate Things. — Paul’s Opinion of 
his Friend’s Conscience. — Dick’s Gallantry to L&mtine 145 


CHAPTER IX. 

The Polly at anchor. — Preparations for Escape. — “Now or never.” — 
“Luck from the Sou’-west.” — Sapping and Mining. — Leontine’s 
Soldier Lover. — Her Plan for his Capture. — Success of the Plot. — Re- 
capture of the Polly . — Under Sail. — Dick’s parting Salute ” — “Nor’- 
nor’east ” 160 


CONTENTS. 


xi 


CHAPTER X. 

Paul Grey in Sight of Home— A Revenue Cutter bearing down on the 
Polly.— Putting about from Home.— A Sail ahead.— Suspicions.— 
Realities.— The Frenchman’s Politeness.— Dick Stone’s Reply.— The 
Fight.— Paul and Dick side by side on the Deck.— Death of Dick 
Stone 177 


CHAPTER XI. 

Ned Grey, Nigger Tim, and Nero at Sea. — A Man overboard.— The 
three Friends to the Rescue. — Nero’s Discovery, and Refusal to act. — 
Jem Stevens. — Ned called to the Quarter-deck. — Jem’s Ingratitude. 
— Arrival off the Coast of Ceylon. — Looking out for the French... 190 

CHAPTER XII. 

News of the French Frigate Forte. — In Sight of her. — The Action. — 
Ned and his Friends and Jem Stevens. — The Prize Crew. — For En- 
gland. — A Hurricane. — Disasters to the Frigate. — Preparing to aban- 
don the Ship. — Treachery of Jem Stevens 202 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Ned, Tim, and Nero abandoned. — Rumaging the Stores. — A Coral Isl- 
and. — Jem Stevens’s Box. — Making themselves at Home. — Tim’s 
Oyster Trick. — Turtle. — Taking in Stores. — Putting off to Sea. — Land 
ahead. — A Shark Hunt. — Canoes from Land. — Tim’s Opinion of 
them 220 


CHAPTER XIV. 

Nero’s Reception of the Strangers.— A Negro Welcome.— Female Curi- 
osity. — Nero’s Position among the Negroes. — Ned’s Hut. — Arranging 
the “ Grounds.” — Ned married to the Chief’s Daughter.— Refuses the 
Happiness conferred on him. — The Chief solves the Difficulty by giv- 
ing him two Wives instead of one. — Anger of the People. — Determine 
to escape. — The Departure. — Captured by Slave-hunters. — Tim’s 
Opinion of the Position, and of Ned’s Refusal to marry the Chiefs 
Daughters.— Ned faces a Lion with Nero.— And is victorious.... 240 


xn 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER XV. 

Marching to the West. — Fine Scene. — A populous Country. — The Ne« 
gro Town. — Tim among his own People. — Becomes the Spokesman. 
— His Illustration of the Power of the Gun. — Petitions the King for 
Freedom. — Favorable Reception of the Petition, — Purchase of Ned 
and Tim by the King. — A Negro Supper. — Ned summoned to Coun- 
cil. — Pronounced a “Rain-maker.” — The Compass. — And Quicksil- 
ver. — The Telescope as a Magical Instrument. — Seizure of Slaves. — • 
Inhumanity of the Slave Traffic. — Tim’s Opinion of it Page 263 


CHAPTER XVI. 

Life among the Negroes. — Ned’s Distinction, and its Danger. — An Ex- 
pedition by Sea. — Successful Hunting. — An Enemy in Ambush. — 
Ned’s Generalship. — His victoi'ious Retreat. — His Prowess celebrated. 
— His Attempts to teach the Natives Religion. — The Nautical Alma- 
nac. — The King’s Opinion of European Astronomy. — Ned ventures to 
predict an Eclipse. — Tim’s politic Advice. — The King’s Anger and 
Threats. — Ned’s Danger. — The Eclipse 277 


CHAPTER XVII. 

Leontine at Falmouth. — Her Brother set free. — The News of Paul’s 
Death. — Grief of Polly Grey. — Joe Smart’s Kindness. — His Visits to 
Polly at the House of Widow Jones. — Jem Stevens at Home again, 
and “ Squire.” — Mrs. Jones’s Opinion of him. — Jem’s Account of his 
Adventures.— Widow Jones speaks to Edith.— Edith’s Resolution. 
— Jem’s Declaration of Love. — What came of it 305 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

Mrs. Jones compares Jem with Ned.— Joe Smart’s Love for Polly Grey. 
—Sets off to learn what he can of Paul’s Death. — A Stranger on 
the Road. — The Stranger’s Inquiries. — Visits Polly Grey. — Paul once 
more at Home 325 


CONTENTS. 


Xlli 


CHAPTER XIX 

Paul’s Account of himself.— Joe Smart’s Welcome of his old Friend.— 
Joe meets Jem Stevens in the Dark — Apprehension of Paul. — Ned 
and Tim in Africa. — A demand for Rain.— Ned’s Dilemma. — Tim’s 
Statesmanship. — The Escape. — Sad Fate of Nero. — His Burial. — A 
Prairie Fire. — Among the Natives again. — A Negro Village. — The 
Queen. — Her Beauty. — Her Affection for Ned. — Her Proposal. — Pur- 
suit by Ned’s former Friends. — Battle. — Death of the young Queen. 
— Departure of Ned and Tim Page 337 


CHAPTER XX. 

In the Desert. — Want of Water. — Death of the Guide. — The last 
Draught of Water. — Tim’s devoted Faithfulness. — And Death. — 
Rain. — Burial of Tim. — An Arab Village. — The Union-jack. — The 
Lizard Light. — Falmouth 372 


CHAPTER XXI. 

Jem Stevens and Edith. — A Letter to the latter. — Reads it. — Jem pu»*- 
poses to depart. — Edith locks the Door. — Arrival of Ned. — He shows 
Jem the Door. — Apprehension of Ned 388 


CHAPTER XXII. 

Message to Edith from a dying Man. — Who confesses himself guilty of 
the Murder of her Father. — Evidence against Jem. — Deposition.— 
The Sessions. — Paul and Ned at the Bar. — Evidence of Mrs. Jones. 
— The Defense. — The Murderer in Court. — The Judge examines 
the Trinkets so long ago “cast up by the Sea.” — Ned finds his Fa- 
ther 337 


CHAPTER XXIII. 

Story of Ned’s Parentage. — Arrest of Jem Stevens. — Marriage of Ned 
and Edith. — Fate of Jem Stevens. — The Cottage on the Cliff at Sandy 
Cove 409 





LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

TAGS 

cast up bt the sea ! Frontispiece. 

NED SAVES TIM FROM THE WRECK 67 

THE FIGHT 89 

DESTRUCTION OF MOTHER LEE 130 

PAUL GREY BOARDING TOE FRENCH SCHOONER 184 

DESERTION OF NED AND TIM BY STEVENS 217 

NED AND THE LION 259 

DEATH OF THE AMAZON QUEEN 307 

DEATH OF TIM 380 

MSCOVERY OF THE BODY OF JEM STEVEN3 416 
















• I 











CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


CHAPTER I. 

O N the rugged coast of Cornwall, where the waves of the 
Atlantic break in their rudest force against the inhos- 
pitable cliffs, there stood in the year 1784 a small fishing, 
village. 

This hamlet was hardly worthy of the name, as it consist- 
ed of merely two or three clusters of huts, chiefly formed 
of decayed vessels which, no longer sea-worthy, had been 
sawn in halves and inverted ; thus their well-tarred bottoms 
became the roofs to protect the occupants, who in former 
days had navigated their dwellings in the double capacity 
of fishermen and smugglers. 

The spot was well chosen. In the rough wall of preci- 
pices which rose from the waters’ edge to the height of 
several hundred feet there was a sudden break, and a nar- 
row cleft in the face of the cliff of about fifty yards’ width 
opened into an inclosed bay so completely land-locked as to 
form a natural harbor of exceedingly small dimensions, the 
entire diameter of the horse-shoe form being within two 
hundred yards in width. 

This bay, surrounded by lofty, precipitous cliffs, formed 
an amphitheatre excluded from the rest of the world, as its 
very existence would be unknown to a stranger until he 
suddenly approached the verge, and observed the calm 
basin below, with the sea horizon beyond the narrow gap 


18 


VAST UP BY THE SEA. 


that formed the entrance to the bay. At low tide the sand 
was exposed for a considerable extent, while at high water 
the waves rippled upon the shingly beach, upon which were 
arranged the boats belonging to the villagers, while fisning- 
nets with crab and lobster pots were stretched upon the 
stones to dry. 

Strewed upon the beach in all directions was an ominous 
amount of ship timber, the fragments of wrecks that had 
been washed into the bay ; while staves of casks, wooden 
hoops, and remains of broken cases attested the loss of ship 
and cargo that had been driven on this fatal shore. Among 
the numerous casualties upon that portion of the Cornish 
coast few shipwrecked persons survived to tell their tale. 
There was no landing-place for many miles along the shore 
but Sandy Cove, except at low water during calm weather, 
when certain exposed points that had been worn away by 
the waves afforded a rough beach of broken crags that had 
fallen from the cliffs above. These slippery rocks, covered 
with long sea-weed, were often the hopeless refuge of the 
strong swimmer, who had struggled with the storm only to 
be dashed to pieces against the cruel shore that refused him 
shelter. It was reported vaguely that the inhabitants of this 
pitiless coast were equally inhospitable, and that the fisher- 
men of Sandy Cove combined the professions of smugglers 
and wreckers with their more honorable occupation. 

The huts or cabins that composed the village might have 
amounted to twenty. These were erected in various local- 
ities, without any regard to arrangement, in such positions 
as were most favorable — generally about fifty feet above 
high-water mark — upon the level plateaux that had been 
formed by the detachment of portions of the cliff. Upon 
these narrow terraces the boat cabins were built directly 
against the abrupt face of the wall-like rock that rose for 
several hundred feet above them, while the tiny gardens 


VAST VP BY THE SEA. 


19 


that, faced each hut were fenced with the remnants of ship 
timber, that was the principal feature of the locality. Many 
of these gardens showed the care and taste of the owners ; 
and the bright flowers that bloomed in that warm and shel- 
tered nook contrasted strangely with the plain black cabins 
of inverted boats that formed the rude dwellings of the 
fishermen. 

Before these huts were high forked sticks whitened by 
long use, upon which were stretched the drying lines, whence 
dangled in the breeze the dark-blue Guernsey frocks, check- 
ed shirts, and gray stockings of the men, with blue petti- 
coats distended by the wind, and square, queer-shaped shifts 
that evidently belonged to the females of the establishment. 

So completely were the dwellings sheltered and conceal- 
ed by the high cliffs above that a stone might have been 
dropped perpendicularly upon the roofs, and the only ap- 
proach from the higher ground was by zigzag paths wind- 
ing down the rocks to the beach below. 

Only one exception to the rule of general concealment 
showed that the coast was inhabited. About two hundred 
feet above the bay, but sheltered by the still higher cliff at 
the back, there stood upon a natural terrace a neat cottage 
formed of clay, built up with portions of wreck, the whole 
white-washed, excepting the timber work, that was carefully 
blackened with a coating of pitch. The garden which front- 
ed the dwelling was luxuriant in dense bushes of myrtle, 
while sweet verbena ornamented the walls of the cottage, 
at the back of which the red marble cliffs rose about a hun- 
dred feet to the summit. There was no approach from the 
higher ground, but it was necessary to ascend from the vil- 
lage below by a winding path hewn out from the rough face 
of the cliff. 

From this lofty point the sea view overlooked the en- 
trance to the bay with an unbroken line of horizon, while 
2 


20 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


from the low wall of stone that bordered the narrow gar- 
den was a bird’s-eye view of the little harbor beneath, in 
which were lying at anchor several small fishing - boats, 
but above all a smart-looking lugger of about forty tons. 
This vessel was said to be a trawler, and was called the 
Polly. 

It was a sultry night in August. The day had been 
oppressive ; it was a dead calm upon the sea, and, as the sun 
had sunk, a yellowish glare of haze had obscured the hori- 
zon, while long thin streaks of fleecy clouds, tinged with 
vermilion with the sun’s last rays, turned ominously black 
when the bright light faded. The swallows had been flying 
so low as to merely skim the ground, and the sea-gulls had 
been screaming in a wild manner as they followed the 
shoals of porpoises that chased the mackerel at the entrance 
of the bay. For some weeks no rain had fallen, and unusu- 
al heat had parched the country. Such was the sunset of 
the 19th of August, 1791 : the sea and atmosphere were so 
mingled together that, in the dull twilight, nothing could 
be distinguished on the surface ; but an unnatural stillness 
pervaded the darkening scene. 

At this time a strange figure sat upon the low garden- 
wall that overlooked the sea, and, apparently motionless, 
strove to pierce the mysterious haze that shrouded the 
horizon. At the first sight it would have been difficult to 
determine the sex, but a closer examination showed it to be 
a female. She sat at that giddy height crouched and bal- 
anced upon the unstable wall, with her knees close to her 
thin and scantily-bearded chin, while, to steady her position, 
she tightly clutched her ankles with her long and wiry 
hands. She wore neither shoes nor stockings. A ragged 
petticoat of blue serge, with a long jacket of the same coarse 
material, formed the whole of her clothing, while an old 
sailor’s oil-skin cap, known as a “ sou’-wester.” covered her 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


21 


head, and descended to her gaunt shoulders. It wculd have 
been impossible to have guessed her age — she might have 
been seventy or ninety ; her hair was white, and fell in long 
grizzled locks that had been uncombed for years ; her face 
was weather-beaten and brown, but so wrinkled and cadav- 
erous as to resemble nothing earthly, and a long, sharp, hook- 
3d nose descended to a level with her thin, compressed lips. 
In the dead stillness of the evening this ill-omened figure 
gazed intently upon the dark sea. Presently she muttered, 
“ Sou’-west ! sou’-west ! luck comes from the sou’-west — 
fog on the sea, and fire on the cliff ! Ha, ha ! ha, ha ! The 
storm’s a-coming.” 

The darkness increased until the figure of the old hag 
first dwindled to a shadow and was soon utterly obscured, 
her presence in the same spot being only revealed by a low, 
guttural rattle or chuckle at every increased moan of the 
wind, which now rose at intervals, although the air was still 
death-like calm. 

At this moment a light shone from the window of the 
cottage about twenty paces distant. 

The interior of this cottage was a combination of neat- 
ness and disorder ; fishing-nets were hung from beams in 
the ceiling, spare corks and leads for nets were strung upon 
ropes and hung in festoons upon various hooks upon the 
walls, while oars and boat-hooks were arranged across the 
beams, upon which planks were fitted to form a loft : upon 
these were piled a variety of objects in great confusion. 
The floor was paved with red brick strewn with white sand ; 
the lattice windows were ornamented with geraniums in 
pots brightened with red lead, and the mantle-piece was 
arranged with shells : in the centre stood a large wooden 
clock, above which hung a print in a black frame of King 
George the Third. There were several prints of vessels 
hanging on the walls ; but there was one that was in a su« 


22 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


perior frame, as though of more importance : this was a 
lugger in full sail with a spanking breeze, beneath which 
was written in gold letters, “ The Polly — 40 tons.” On 
either side of this were hung a brace of ship pistols and a 
cutlass, while half a dozen muskets were ranged above the 
fire-place. 

The cottage consisted of a bedroom and sitting-room, 
with a small back kitchen, one wall of which was formed 
by the cliff against which the dwelling was erected. The 
clock struck. 

“ What o’clock’s that ?” inquired a man from the inner 
room ; “ nine or ten ?” 

“ I hardly listened,” said a sweet woman’s voice ; “ for I 
am too sad to think of time, but I see it is already ten.” 

At this moment a fine-looking seaman entered the room, 
and approaching the table at which the last speaker was 
sitting, he drew his chair to her side. 

“ Don’t be cast down, Polly, my girl,” he exclaimed, in a 
rough but sympathizing tone; “it’s a bad job, but it can’t 
be helped. Cheer up ! Sobbing won’t bring him back 
again ; we must bear the loss and wait for better luck ; he’s 
saved from many a rough night, poor child !” 

This attempt at comfort, far from giving consolation, 
produced a burst of tears, and the lovely girl to whom the 
words were addressed buried her face in her hands, and gave 
way to unrestrained emotion as she bowed her head upon a 
much worn old family Bible that lay open before her. 

Mary, or, as she was commonly called, Polly Grey, was 
the young wife of the manly specimen of a British sailoi 
who now, sitting by her side, vainly sought to soothe her 
affliction. She was the only daughter of a respectable farm- 
er in the neighborhood, and she had been nearly a year 
married to Paul Grey, the happy and much-envied husband 
whose frank, straightforward manner and handsome person 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


23 


had won the prize that had been sought by many of greater 
wealth and position. 

Polly Grey was a fair sample of an English rustic beau- 
ty ; of middle height, finely, but vigorously formed, a lovely 
complexion, with large, deep-blue eyes, and rich blonde hair 
that, when released from the simple but neatly-twisted coil, 
fell in heavy masses far below her waist. She was now in 
her twenty-first year ; she had been the happiest of the hap- 
py since her wedding-day. Two months ago she had first 
known the joy that a mother alone can feel, when she press- 
ed a lovely child to her heart. The scene had changed ; she 
was now in black ; hardly a week had passed since her first 
hope was shattered, and the child upon which all her joys 
had centred had ceased to live. That first grief pressed 
heavily upon her. Till now her life had been all sunshine ; 
a husband that she loved, her infant boy born in the image 
of his father ; but hardly had he learned to smile upon her 
than he died. “ Why was he born if only to die ? Why 
was he given if only to be taken away ? Why was she a 
mother if only to be a mourner ?” These were the thoughts 
that added to her sorrow, and vainly the young mother 
turned to her Bible for consolation. She could not unravel 
the mystery, she could only feel her loss. 

Paul Grey, although a warm-hearted man, had been too 
much accustomed to the rude chances of his life to allow 
this domestic sorrow to oppress him. Two days ago he had 
carried the little coffin to the grave, and as the father’s 
tears fell upon the spot, so they were the last he shed, and 
with a sailor’s curt philosophy he had consoled himself and 
strove to console his wife, with the idea of “ better luck 
next time.” 

At this time Paul was about twenty-eight years of age, 
but the rough life of a sailor had so bronzed his features 
that he appeared somewhat older ; he was remarkably hand* 


24 


[CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


some, and considerably above the middle height, but hid 
herculean width of shoulders reduced his appearance to 
that of a man of five feet ten. When the heart of Mary 
Dale was won, and she became Polly Grey, Paul had not 
only put his cottage in order to receive his young bride, but 
he had also invested the whole of his ready cash, and had 
even borrowed money, to complete the new lugger which 
now lay anchored in the bay. This vessel was the darling 
of his heart, and next to his wife it shared his affection ; 
therefore the new boat had been christened the Polly , un- 
der which beloved name it formed a member of the family. 
There was no smarter craft on the Cornish coast ; neither 
was there a better or more lovely wife than Polly Grey. 

Now although the Polly had been afloat no longer than 
a year, she had already gained a great reputation ; but min- 
gled with the reports of her good qualities as a sea-boat, 
there were vague rumors that were connected with her mys- 
terious disappearance and rapid return voyages which raised 
the suspicions of the coast-guard ; and in the public houses 
of the neighboring village, about five miles distant, it was 
more than insinuated by jealous fishermen that the Polly 
was a smuggler, and no trawler. At the time that I describe 
the occupation of wrecking or of plundering the cargo of 
vessels that had perished on the coast was by no means 
considered unworthy of the Cornish fishermen; and in 
those days smuggling was regarded in no unfavorable light 
by the amphibious inhabitants of the southern shore, but 
the profession was considered more honorable than other- 
wise, provided that it could be prosecuted without discov- 
ery ; even should the smuggler be apprehended by the au- 
thorities, the sympathy of the coast inhabitants sided with 
the offender. Certainly the fishermen of Sandy Cove de- 
served the reputation that had been earned by successful 
enterprise both in wrecking and in contraband adventures, 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


25 


but how far Paul Grey was connected personally with such 
acts was a matter of simple suspicion. The Polly belong- 
ed to him, but the crew of the vessel were natives of Sandy 
Cove ; and such was his influence, and the general respect in 
which he was held, that few of the revenue officers would 
have ventured to insult his dwelling by a visit of search. 
If was currently reported that even among the coast-guard 
Paul had friends who closed their eyes to the voyages of the 
Polly. The station was about six miles distant, and the 
detachment was commanded by an old schoolfellow of 
Paul’s, a lieutenant in the navy, who had lost his left arm 
in an action with a French frigate. This man, who was 
known as Captain Smart, had been an unsuccessful admirer 
of Mary Dale, now Polly Grey ; but as an old and honora- 
ble friend of his more fortunate rival, he had advanced 
Paul the sum required for the completion of the Polly , 
with no other security than his note of hand for £200. This 
was a private affair, only known to the parties concerned, 
and the visits of Captain Smart to the neat white cottage 
of Sandy Cove were equivalent to a certificate of Paul 
Grey’s character. In fact, Captain Smart, or Joe Smart, as 
Paul familiarly called his old school-fellow, was a true friend ; 
and although his honest heart had, as he described it, 
“ struck hard and well-nigh gone to pieces ” when Mary Dale 
refused him, he consoled himself with the fact that she 
loved his old friend Paul, who had two arms while he had 
only one. Joe Smart was well to do in the world ; he had 
a permanent appointment in addition to a comfortable in- 
dependence left him by his father ; but he had made up his 
mind since his first disappointment never to love again. 
He was an active, resolute-looking sailor, with a peculiar- 
ly open expression. He was about two years older than 
Paul, and on the dav that had just closed he had been 
down tp Sandy Cove to ask after the “ little sailor,” as 


20 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


lie termed Paul’s child, to whom he was to have been god- 
father ; he had then heard the mournful news, and, seeing 
the distress of the young mother, he had simply pressed 
her hand in sympathy, and had hurried back to the coast- 
guard station, feeling almost as much as though the loss 
were his own. 

The old wooden clock had just struck ten when Paul’s 
rough attempt at comfort was addressed to Polly Grey. 
They were now sitting at the table, his arm around her 
waist, while, as her head rested upon his shoulder, he ten- 
derly wiped the tears from her large blue eyes, and warmly 
kissed her forehead. At this moment there was a hurried 
tap at the window. 

“ What’s that ?” said Polly. 

“ Only a bird that has flown against the glass attracted 
by the light,” said Paul ; but several taps in quick succes- 
sion drew their attention to the window, against which was 
pressing the hideous face of the old hag who had been seat- 
ed as sentry upon the terrace-wall ; her thin nose was flat- 
tened against the glass, and an expression of fierce excite- 
ment increased the horror of her appearance. 

“ Come out,” cried the old woman ; “ there’s work to- 
night. D’ye hear the bell ?” 

“ What is it, mother ?” said Paul. “ It’s coming on to 
blow, I know, but the Polly's all snug ; she’s got two an- 
chors down, and she won’t hurt in the cove.” 

In another instant the face disappeared from the win- 
dow, and the door opening from without, the old woman 
hobbled into the room. 

“ Such a night I never saw,” said she ; “ it’s black as 
pitch, and thick fog on the sea, and not a breath of wind 
except above, where it’s moaning like a dying man. It’s 
the last night for many, but a good nigm, ior somu ] 
heard the bell l” 


CAST UP BY TUB SEA. 


21 


“ What bell, Mother Lee ?” inquired Polly Grey ; “ you 
couldn’t hear the church-bell under the cliff.” 

“ Ha, ha ! the church-bell !” replied the old woman ; 
“ very good, very good ! The church-bell ! It’s tolling for 
the dead before they die — the church is at sea, and the bell’s 
tolling in the fog — the fog-bell’s tolling, and the ship’s com- 
ing on the shore. It’s a good night for some ; the tide’s 
running in. Out with yer, Paul, and get the first pick- 
ings !” 

Mother Lee, as the old hag was called, was the widow of 
a certain Stephen Lee, who had been hanged about fifty 
years before for piracy. Report said that the old woman 
had deserved the same fate ; but it was certain that so long 
as the oldest inhabitant could remember Sandy Cove she 
had been the evil genius of the spot. Half-prophetess and 
fortune-teller, always promoting evil, she had so worked 
upon the superstitions of the people that she was considered 
to possess more than human power, and to be capable of 
producing mischief and calamities through spiritual agency. 
Thus Mother Lee subsisted upon charity ; she lived in an 
old inverted boat, and gathered fuel for the winter from the 
pieces of wreck upon the shore. Clothes she had none, ex- 
cept those cast off by both sexes ; these she adopted with- 
out choice, and she usually appeared in a hybrid attire of 
male and female. From long practice she had become so 
thoroughly acquainted with the tide, currents, weather, and 
other local phenomena, that the superstitious fishermen oi 
Sandy Cove thoroughly believed in her prophecies, and 
even accredited her with the power of raising a storm and 
of drawing a vessel upon the coast. As the wreck of a 
ship was considered a blessing to the neighborhood, Mother 
Lee was an important person in Sandy Cove, and although 
feared, and certainly not loved, she was never refused a re- 
quest The only person who disbelieved in Mothe* Leo 


28 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


was Polly Grey. This had reached the old woman’s ears, 
and curses that she had muttered in the village against the 
young mother were quickly succeeded by the fading away 
and death of the child. This fact was generally accepted 
as a proof of witchcraft. 

As has been already mentioned, Paul Grey’s garden was 
the best spot for a lookout, as commanding the entire sea 
view ; thus, to the intense dislike of Polly Grey, old Mother 
Lee would take her seat like a vulture for hours together 
upon the terrace-wall, undismayed by the precipice of two 
hundred feet that sank sheer below her to the beach. 

There was something horrible in the delight that the 
old hag exhibited in the approaching calamity. Paul knew 
that she was to be trusted ; and, rising from his seat, he 
whispered to his wife, who clung to his arm as though 
spell-bound by the fixed look of the old woman, and, accom- 
panied by Mother Lee, he opened the door to look at the 
night. In the same moment a sudden puff of wind extin- 
guished the candle, and Polly Grey, left in the dark, felt 
chilled to the bone as she heard the coarse chuckle of the 
old woman, as she muttered on the threshold, “ There’s luck 
from the sou’- west. There’s the bell in the fog !” 

Mother Lee was right. Hardly had Paul quitted the 
house than the puff of wind that had extinguished the light 
was succeeded by a momentary but violent gust. Almost 
at the same instant a distant flash of lightning shone hazily 
through the foggy darkness. The old woman had vanished. 
Presently a low roll of thunder was heard, and again a vio- 
lent gust of cold air swept along the cliffs direct from the 
sea. This was succeeded by a few moments of dead calm, 
in which Paul started as the distant sound of a bell struck 
distinctly upon his ear. The bell was on the sea. There 
could be no doubt that some vessel, obscured in the fog, 
had been carried out of her course by the strong current 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


29 


that set toward a rocky point within half a mile of Sandy 
Cove, which, stretching far into the sea, formed a bluff cliff, 
against which many a good ship had gone to pieces. The 
fog-bell was repeatedly sounded, and, as the breeze came di* 
rectly toward the land, it could be heard from a great dis- 
tance. Paul had concluded that the vessel was a mile and 
a half from the shore ; in which case her position was one 
of great danger, as there could be no doubt that a severe 
tempest was about to commence from the south-west, which 
would infallibly drive her upon this dangerous coast. There 
was not much time for consideration, for the few heavy 
gusts, that had been succeeded at intervals by unnatural 
calms, were suddenly followed by a terrific squall, that blew 
the sand and small pebbles clattering against the windows, 
which were now once more illumined by Polly Grey’s re- 
kindled light. A long roll of thunder sounded like heavy 
artillery in the distance, but the roar of the wind, and the 
angry rumble of the waves upon the rocky beach, had so 
much increased that all other sounds were deadened. 

Paul entered his cottage, and quickly closed the doc 
TIis wife had been anxiously awaiting his return. 

“ Where is that dreadful old woman?” asked Polly. 
“ Although I believe in nothing but her wickedness, and de- 
spise the superstitions connected with her, I can not help 
my blood freezing when she glares upon me as she did to- 
night.” 

“ She’s gone,” said Paul. “ I don’t know where, if she’s 
not blown over the cliff by the squall that nearly took me 
off my legs. But the old woman’s right, Polly. There’s a 
vessel in the fog not far from shore, and nothing but a mir- 
acle can save her in the gale that’s now driving dead upon 
the coast.” 

“ How dreadful !” replied the kind-hearted wife. “ What 
can we do to save her, Paul? Think of the poor creatures, 


30 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


if wrecked upon this horrible shore ! What if we light a 
fire upon the cliff to give them warning ? There may yet 
be hope !” 

Polly Grey had never been at Sandy Cove on the hap- 
py occasion of a shipwreck, and she little knew the feelings 
of the villagers in a moment of such excitement ; even Paul 
from long experience had ceased to regard a wreck with 
the sympathy that such a calamity should awaken, but he 
accepted it as a natural consequence upon bad seamanship 
that ought to have been avoided. 

“ You can’t save her, Polly ; and the people of the Cove 
wouldn’t thank you if you could. It isn’t often that they 
get a good turn, but they count a wreck as good luck to 
the Cove if it’s bad luck to the ship. But there’s no harm 
in lighting a fire,” continued Paul ; “ it may give her a 
chance. So help me while I roll out an old tar-barrel that 
lies in the shed. You get an armful of shavings, Polly, and 
we’ll soon have a blaze.” 

In a few minutes Paul had rolled a large tar-barrel to 
the front of the cottage, and with his wife’s assistance he 
had crammed it full of straw and shavings. “ Don’t go too 
near the cliff, Polly,” said Paul, as the tremendous force of 
the gale nearly lifted her off her feet. “ Sit down on that 
stone by the window, while I get some fire and he quick- 
ly returned from the cottage kitchen with a couple of blaz- 
ing sticks that he had taken from the hearth. These he 
thrust into the interior of the barrel, and in an instant the 
strong breeze ignited the inflammable material, and the 
flames wrapped around the mouth. In a few minutes the 
fire flared to a great height, and brightly illumined the 
white cottage and the high cliff behind. Paul brought 
fresh fuel in the shape of old staves and pieces of broken 
boats, which, being thickly coated with pitch, created an in 
tense light. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


31 


“ They’ll see that, anyhow,” said Paul ; “ if the fog will 
only lift. It can’t last long in this gale.” 

These words were hardly uttered when a bright flash 
at sea was shortly followed by the hea^y boom of a can- 
non. 

“ They’ve seen the fire,” said Polly. “ Please God, they 
are safe !” 

Another gun now sounded from the same quarter. 

“ They are driving on the rocks,” said Paul; “those 
guns are signals of distress. Our fire has given them 
the warning of the coast. There’s no hope except in their 
cables and anchors !” 

At that moment the fog rose like a curtain, and the moon 
that had been obscured shone brightly between the dark 
clouds that hurried rapidly across her. The scene was at 
once changed, and, the mist having dissolved, there was na 
longer any doubt of the position. A fine full-rigged ship 
was close-hauled to the wind with double-reefed topsail^ 
and was endeavoring to clear the coast. No sooner, how. 
ever, had the fog lifted than those on board at once per. 
ceived their hopeless situation as the bright fire showed 
them their true distance from the shore ; accordingly with 
great alacrity two anchors were let drop, and, the ship 
swinging head to wind, the sails were quickly taken in, and 
the cables were veered out to their full extent. During 
this time the storm had frightfully increased ; the sea was 
white with the crests of angry breakers, which dashed with 
such violence against the rocks that the roar of water and 
rolling shingle almost equalled the thunder that reverber- 
ated overhead. The ship was how the plaything of the 
waves. Tremendous rollers came surging toward the bay, 
threatening to beat down the noble vessel beneath their fall- 
ing crests ; but she gallantly rose to each breaker, and, al- 
though the seas swept across her decks, she always recov» 


32 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA . 


ered herself in time to withstand the shock of the succeed- 
ing wave. 

The gale had increased to a hurricane, and, as the enor- 
mous waves dashed against the perpendicular cliffs, the 
spray flew a hundred feet above the sea level. The night 
was wearing away; it was about two a.m. ; and Paul and 
his wife had been watching the exciting scene, and keeping 
up the fire until the fuel was well-nigh exhausted. “ Go to 
bed, Polly !” he exclaimed. “ Nothing can be done. If she 
can hold on till morning the storm may moderate, or per- 
haps the wind may change, and if so there may be a chance 
of safety.” 

The fire had burned low, and, as Paul spoke, a shadow 
flitted Upon the cottage- wall, and the low chuckle of Mother 
Lee was heard, as she approached the fire, and warmed her 
skinny hands. 

“ Ha, ha !” she muttered ; “ the luck comes from the sou - 
west. There’s no hempen cable that’ll stand a Cornish 
rock. She’ll cut before the morning. Get to bed with 
yer !” cried the old hag ; “ and wake fresh for the pickings. 
There’ll be work for all hands before sunrise.” 

Horror-struck at the cold-blooded prophecy of Mother 
Lee, and glad to escape from her presence, Polly retired to 
the cottage, and throwing herself, without undressing, upon 
the bed, in spite of her anxiety she fell into a sound sleep, 
thoroughly tired out with watching. Paul would not sleep, 
but busied himself with preparing ropes for the expected 
emergency. In the mean time Mother Lee scraped togeth- 
er the hot embers, and arranged the few unburned pieces 
that remained to restore the fire, over which the old woman 
crouched, apparently without heeding the hurricane, which 
at every gust swept showers of sparks against the cottage- 
wall. 

There were many watchers that night in Sandy Cove* 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


33 


who had been aroused by Mother Lee, who had gone her 
rounds to the various cottages and prophesied “ luck from 
the sou’-west.” 

It was about five o’clock in the morning, and Paul, hav- 
ing first completed his coils of lines, had slept for an hour, 
when he was awakened by a sharp knocking at the door. 
In another instant it opened, and Mother Lee entered the 
room. “ Get up with you ! get up !” she cried ; “ one ca- 
ble’s cut, and a mast has just gone overboard ; she won’t 
last long !” 

Paul hurried out, accompanied by his wife, who had 
hastily thrown her cloak across her shoulders, for the morn- 
ing was cold and raw. “ God help them !” exclaimed the 
kind-hearted Polly as she first looked upon the terrible 
scene. The storm was, if possible, more intense than before ; 
the ship had changed her position during the night, and had 
apparently dragged her anchors ; she was now lying about 
half a mile from the coast, exactly opposite the entrance to 
the little bay of Sandy Cove, which, not being above fifty 
yards in width, was unseen and unknown by the crew of the 
vessel. As Mother Lee had already made known, the rocks 
had chafed through one of the hempen cables, the slack end 
of which now hung loosely in the water, while the remain- 
ing cable was as tight as an iron bar whenever a tremendous 
wave struck the bows of the ship. In those days chain ca- 
bles were very rare, and many a vessel and crew would have 
been saved from destruction had they been provided as now 
with the faithful metal. When anchored among sharp- 
edged rocks it was next to impossible that a hempen rope 
should escape the friction. One rope, as we have seen, had 
just parted, therefore the ship swung by a single cable in * 
storm that rendered her position hopeless. She appeared 
to be an Indiaman of about 1200 tons. The mizen-mast 
had been carried away a few feet above the deck, and the 


34 


CAST UF BY THE SEA. 


crew were actively employed in catting away the mainmast 
to lighten the ship, and to lessen the strain upon the anchor. 

The natural feeling of the sailor now burst from Paul. 
“ Fools !” he exclaimed, as he stamped his foot upon the 
ground, and gesticulated vainly to the fated vessel ; “ up 
svith the jib ! Slip the cable, and bring her head to the 
shore ! Loose the foresail, and run for the mouth of the 
bay !” Alas ! they knew nothing of the coast, neither could 
they distinguish the narrow entrance in the midst of spray 
and white-headed breakers that burst upon the rocks. 
Even the little bay, usually so calm, was now a heavy sea, 
as every wave, although broken in its force, swept through 
the gap and rolled heavily upon the beach. The Polly rode 
safely at anchor, with a long cable, and although every now 
and then the surf broke over the forecastle, her hatchways 
were secured, and there was nothing to fear in Sandy Cove 
for so good a vessel. 

The Indiaman was, as usual with that fine class of ves- 
sel, exceedingly well-manned ; and had the crew been aware 
of the little harbor that lay concealed so near them, there 
would have been no difficulty, with good seamanship, in 
running in and beaching the ship upon Sandy Cove. How- 
ever, there was no means of communicating with the doom- 
ed vessel ; and although a harbor of refuge was actually at 
hand, the axes were plied at both the remaining masts, which 
presently fell by the board. 

Paul was watching these operations with a telescope, and 
explaining to his eager wife all that passed upon the deck. 
“ They are making a raft with spars,” said he ; “ but it will 
be of little use among those breakers.” After a little pause 
he continued, “ Poor things ! There are women and chil- 
dren on board, all clinging to each other on the poop-deck.” 

“ Oh Paul, dear Paul, can we do nothing to help them ?” 
cried his wife, in intense excitement. “ How dreadful for 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


35 


the poor children and mothers !” At this moment her own 
recent loss awakened in her heart a deep sympathy for those 
who were shortly to part forever, even before her eyes. 

Suddenly Paul lowered the telescope. “ The cable’s part- 
ed !” he shouted ; “ they’re lost !” 

At that moment the ship, that had hitherto been lying 
with her stern toward the shore and her head direct to the 
wind, leaping over the opposing waves, although almost 
buried in surf and spray, suddenly altered her position, and 
her head turning slowly away from the gale, she fell into 
the trough of the sea with her broadside to the wind. A 
tremendous wave with curling crest came towering toward 
her, and, hardly rising to meet the shock, the ship merely 
heeled over, and the terrific wave swept clean across her 
decks. For an instant nothing was visible but a confused 
mass of foam and spray, with a dark object in the centre; 
but in a few seconds the hull again appeared. The decks 
that had been thronged with people were nearly empty 
only a few of the strongest men remained hanging on to 
any rope that offered a secure hold. Another sea struck 
her, and once more the powerless hulk lay buried. Again 
she righted, and still fewer people remained upon her decks ; 
she now rolled helplessly on, buried by every sea, and nearly 
turning bottom upward as each successive wave struck her. 
The current set rather away from the entrance to Sandy 
Cove, but the wind being dead on shore she would evident- 
ly strike a little on the left of the mouth. 

“ She’ll strike on the Iron Rock before she reaches the 
shore,” said Paul. 

This was a black mass that only now and then reared its 
threatening form above the surface, about three hundred 
yards from the entrance to the bay, over which the break* 
ers dashed in a tremendous surf. As Paul foretold, the 
vessel was evidently being driven directly against this rock, 
3 


36 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


Again Paul searched the wreck with his telescope ; she 
was now within a short distance of the fatal rock. “ They’re 
lowering a boat,” said Paul; “some women have just come 
on deck from the cabin. Well done ! the boat’s lowered, 
and they are getting the women down. Off she goes ! 
That’s right : now pull hard for the mouth of the Cove l 
Keep her straight ! — here comes a breaker ! — sit close to- 
gether in the stern ! Ha ! what’s that ? the tiller broken ? 
My God ! she’s over !” 

A raging breaker burst directly over the boat, and after 
rolling over severa 1 times she disappeared. Polly sobbed 
aloud. 

In the mean while the once noble ship, sometimes lifted 
upon a wave, sometimes half buried in the surf, rolled 
heavily toward the Iron Rock. At length a wave higher 
than the rest bore her forward with resistless power, and 
raising her far above the general level, it appeared to drop 
her bodily upon the rock, the crash of the collision being 
distinctly heard on shore. She remained fast, lying athwart- 
ship, and in another instant a wave burst against her as 
though she had been a portion of the cliff, and the spray 
flew high in the air, while the sea rolled completely across 
her decks. 

“ She can’t stand that for half an hour,” said Paul. 
“ Stay here, Polly ; or better go in-doors ; she’ll break up 
directly, and there’s no soul living on her now.” 

But Polly could not quit the dreadful scene, and as Paul 
now descended from the cottage to the beach below by a zig- 
zag path, she accompanied him to the bottom of the Sandy 
Cove. Here all the fishermen had congregated with theii 
wives and children, intent upon the plunder that the cargo 
would afford whenever the wreck should break up and the 
prize would be washed on shore. In such a storm it was 
impossible to descend the cliffs, as the waves beat against 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


37 


the face ; when the storm should abate, at low tide, there 
would be a narrow beach at the base of the precipice, upon 
which the cargo would be washed on shore, if not previ- 
ously destroyed by being beaten against the rocks ; but they 
now all waited in expectation that some portion of the spoil 
might be washed upon the shelving beach in Sandy Cove by 
the narrow entrance, especially as the vessel had grounded 
at no great distance from the mouth of the bay, where she 
now lay within view of the village. 

For about an hour the hull of the vessel withstood the 
fury of the sea, which dashed against her with irresistible 
force ; but as each wave retired large volumes of water 
poured in cascades from her opened timbers, showing that 
she could not much longer hold together. At length the 
entire deck floated off the poop as a heavy wave broke full 
upon her ; a short time afterward the stern rose bodily to 
an advancing breaker, and as the sea rushed over her it 
separated and disappeared, leaving only the forepart of the 
vessel fixed upon the rocks; from that moment the waves 
became enriched with the cargo, which was to be seen 
floating in the surf in all directions in the shape of bales, 
cases, tea-chests, barrels, and packages of all descriptions. 
This was the signal for a general cheer from the wreckers 
and their families who now thronged the shore. A few 
minutes later a couple of large casks were seen at the en- 
trance of the Cove, which, lifted by a rolling wave, were 
driven directly into the harbor ; they were apparently lash- 
ed together. There was a general rush forward on the 
part of the people who lined the beach in their eagerness 
to secure the prize. Among the men who dashed into the 
surf were some of the most desperate wreckers of the coast; 
but the force of the breakers was so great that they were 
not only beaten down by the curl' of the waves, but they 
were dragged back by the under-tow, and only regained 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


38 

the shore by the assistance of the crowd who, with joined 
hands, formed a line, and were thus enabled to resist the 
rush of water. There was only one man who had been 
able to force his way through the breakers and swim out 
to the floating barrels ; this was Paul Grey, who had thrown 
off his coat and boots, and, with a coil of thin line across 
his broad shoulders, now struck out manfully through the 
rough sea; sometimes he was for the moment buried in 
the broken waves, at others he would dive through the ad- 
vancing wall of water just as it curled above his head and 
threatened to beat him down “ Bravo, Paul !” shouted 
many voices, especially those of women, who were standing 
on the beach ; “ he’ll have it now !” “ There’s good spirits 

in those casks, or they wouldn’t swim so light I” said a 
grim-looking ruffian, who had just failed in his attempt to 
swim through the surf. “ Paul’s the cat’s-paw, but we’ll 
cry halves when it comes ashore.” “He can’t drag the 
casks ashore,” said another fellow ; “ we must all give a hand 
and share the profit.” “ He’s got it now !” shouted many 
voices, as Paul, having reached the barrels, dexterously fast- 
ened a hook that was attached to his line, and turning to- 
ward the shore, having thrown off the coil while he held 
the end of the rope in his teeth, he swam vigorously for the 
beach. 

There was one heart that beat with pride as the power- 
ful form of Paul Grey struggled bravely with the surf that 
had beaten back all others, and Polly clapped her hands 
with enthusiasm, and headed the crowd to dash into the 
water to help her husband when he gained his footing on 
the rolling shingles. Her hair had blown from its fasten- 
ing, and now flowed in long waves driven by the wind in 
wild confusion, while the excitement of the moment had 
flushed her cheek, and added a fire to her large eyes that 
rendered her perfectly beautiful, and as Paul pressed hel 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


39 


hand when he landed dripping from the sea, he thought he 
had never seen his Polly look so lovely. 

“ It shall belong to you, Polly, whatever it may be !” said 
Paul. “ It’s my prize, and you shall have it.” 

" Halves 1” cried the surly ruffian who had already spok- 
en in the crowd ; and one and all, seizing the line, began to 
haul the barrels toward the beach. 

“ Avast hauling !” cried Paul, as he pushed two or three 
men on one side as though they were children. “ The line 
is mine, and you sha’n’t break it when I’ve had the trouble 
of the job.” He then carefully drew in the rope, hand over 
hand, until the barrels approached the surf ; in an instant, 
as a broken wave hurried them toward the beach, a dozen 
men rushed into the water and dragged them to the shore. 

Hardly had they pulled the barrels high and dry than 
they surveyed them with an air of disappointment. “ They’re 
empty !” was the general exclamation. 

This was evident. Two empty rum puncheons that 
would contain ninety gallons each were firmly lashed par- 
allel together by means of broken oars that formed a frame- 
work, in which the casks were beautifully secured. At one 
end was a strong rope that had apparently been arranged 
for the support of some person who should have clung to 
the raft : to this rope some long fair hair was attached as 
though it had become entangled with the hands that had 
vainly attempted to keep their hold. On the top of the 
buoyant raft, and well secured in the centre between the 
two casks, was a box covered with a piece of tarpaulin that 
had been fastened down with nails to the side in order to 
preserve the contents dry. Some treasure of importance 
was evidently well secured. 

“Halves again !” shouted the first ruffian, as he rudely 
pushed Polly on one side and grasped the box with both 
hands ; at the same time he staggered and rolled upon the 


40 


OAST UP BY THE SEA 


shingle as Paul’s fist descended full upon the side of hi* 
head. 

" Now, my lads, fair play,” said Paul. “ The prize be- 
longs to me, and I don’t mind sharing a portion after X 
know what it is. But hands off till Polly takes her 
share !” 

Paul was a match for any two men in the village ; and 
as none could contest in the present case either his strength 
or his argument, the crowd immediately agreed, and stand- 
ing around the mysterious prize they watched with much 
curiosity the opening of the box. It was an old wine-case, 
and as Paul broke off the nail-heads with a stone, and re- 
moved the tarpaulin, a few bars of wood beneath, that had 
supported the water-proof cover, were easily withdrawn. 
A rich cashmere shawl was loosely arranged above some 
object: beneath this was a wrapper of pink flannel. With 
extreme curiosity Polly now removed this covering, and 
started back with an exclamation of surprise that was ech- 
oed by the crowd as the mystery of the box was suddenly 
revealed. Apparently asleep or dead lay the body of an 
infant about two months old ; around its neck was a locket 
suspended by a thin gold chain. Was it possible? Could 
a miracle restore the child that she had buried but a few 
days since ? It was the fac-simile of her own boy, but pale 
as alabaster. 

“ Is it dead ?” asked Polly, trembling with emotion as 
she regarded the motionless figure that lay before her like 
an apparition of her own child. 

“ I fear it is,” said Paul, who was himself not unmoved 
at the wonderful resemblance ; “ but there’s no water in the 
box ; the clothes are damp, but not absolutely wet. It has 
died for want of air. I said the prize should be yours, Polly ; 
so I’ll carry box and all up to the cottage, and we’ll see whal 
can be done.” 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


41 


“ Luck comes from the sou’-west, ha, ha !” muttered a 
hoarse voice succeeded by a chuckle, and Polly saw the 
wrinkled face of old Mother Lee peering into the box ; and 
laying her skinny fingers upon the chest of the infant, she 
once more muttered, “Luck comes from the sou’-west; 
yer’ll get no other, Polly Grey, except what’s cast up by the 
sea — ha, ha !” 

“ Go, wretched old woman,” replied Polly, stung by the 
taunt ; “ frighten fools who are worthy of you, but leave me 
and mine alone.” 

The old woman’s face changed to something devilish, and 
scowling upon Polly she spat upon the ground, and hoarse* 
ly croaked, “ We’ll see, we’ll see !” 

“ Come along, Polly,” said Paul, who had uncorded the 
fastenings of the box, and raised it upon his head ; “ don’t 
quarrel with Mother Lee ; and look you, mother, if you’re 
going to bring bad luck on my Polly, I’ll heave you over 
the cliff to feed the crabs the next time you come up the 
hill ; d’ye hear ?” 

Paul now left the crowd, and followed by his wife he as- 
cended the zigzag path with his burden, and quickly reach- 
ed his cottage on the cliff. Having placed the box gently 
on the floor, Polly took away the damp shawl and wrap- 
pers ; and covering the child with a warm flannel she held 
it close to her breast, and briskly rubbed its back and spine. 
It was very cold, but the limbs were not stiff ; she had there- 
fore hope ; and with the door and window opened to give 
fresh air, which blew violently from the sea, she anxiously 
watched for some sign of returning animation. In a few 
minutes it gasped faintly ; and to her intense delight after 
an hour’s careful attention she was rewarded by hearing it 
cry lustily. She now dressed it in some clothes that had 
belonged to her own child, and pressing it gently, to her 
bosom, she felt a mother’s happiness as it clung eagerly to 


42 


VAST UP BY THE SEA . 


her breast, as though she had been its proper parent. As 
she watched the lovely infant now peacefully resting in her 
arms she could hardly believe in her recent loss. It ap- 
peared as a dream. Her boy had been replaced by another 
that she might have mistaken for her own. She felt bewil- 
dered ; so many scenes had changed in rapid succession 
within the last few hours : her loss, the storm, the wreck, 
the infant now her child, that had been thus mysteriously 
Cast up by the Sea. 


CHAPTER II. 


HHHE day following the storm was a harvest for the peo* 
pie of Sandy Cove. The wreck had entirely broken up, 
and not a vestige of the ship remained except the fragments 
that, together with the cargo, strewed the coast for miles on 
either side the bay. 

Paul Grey had been out at daybreak, and when he re- 
turned to breakfast he found his wife happier than he had 
seen her for many days. The table was spread. The new- 
ly-arrived baby was snugly asleep in its cradle, looking as 
blooming as though nothing extraordinary had happened; 
and as the storm had passed and the day was fine, the sun 
was shining gayly through the open window. 

When breakfast was finished Paul took his telescope and 
sat upon the terrace-wall above the sea. He had not been 
long seated before his attention was attracted to some ob- 
ject floating in the water beneath, at no great distance from 
the shore ; as the waves gave it motion sometimes it was 
completely submerged, while at others a portion appeared 
upon the surface. 

ct Polly,” he said, “ can you make out what that is ? Some- 
times it looks like a long mass of sea-weed, but it is too 
white.” 

Neither could distinguish the object clearly; therefore, 
descending to the beach, Paul, accompanied by his wife, 
launched a small skiff and rowed out of the harbor toward 
the spot. Rounding the point that formed a natural break' 
water to the small bay they at once discovered the cause. 


44 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


Upon nearer approach there could be no doubt that it was 
the body of some unfortunate who had perished in the 
wreck of yesterday. A few more strokes brought them 
close to it. 

“ It is a woman,” said Polly, who was steering the boat. 
“ Look, Paul, your oar will now touch her. Help me to lift 
her from the water.” 

It was the body of a beautiful woman of about two-and- 
twenty, which the united exertions of Paul and his wife 
soon placed on board the boat; her long blonde hair lie 
had mistaken in the distance for sea-weed. Although they 
knew that she was dead, they arranged her in a reclining 
position, with her back resting against the seat of the boat. 

“ Poor creature ! she is a lady,” said Polly ; “ and so 
beautiful !” 

She had no other clothes than a night-dress ; several val- 
uable rings of diamonds and rubies were on her fingers, in 
addition to her wedding-ring, and a necklace of large bril- 
liants was hung round her neck. Some of her long hair 
was twisted among her delicate fingers ; the button of the 
collar of her night-gown had burst, and her beautiful snow- 
white bosom was exposed. 

“ She had a baby,” sighed Polly ; “ poor woman, how sad ! 
Who knows whether she is the mother of the child we have 
saved ?” 

“ Yery likely,” said Paul ; “ for the hair that we found 
upon the rope handle attached to the barrels is exactly the 
same as that now twisted in her fingers. See ! the inside 
of her soft hands is chafed with holding on to the hard 
rope. Her long hair must have become entangled while 
struggling in the water, and she has had no strength to 
keep her hold.” 

The expression of this beautiful but unfortunate mother 
was one of calm serenity; and as Polly Grey straightened 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


4a 


her gracefully-formed limbs, and covered her breast with 
her long flaxen hair, she kissed her pale cheek, and vowed 
inwardly never to forsake her orphan child. She then took 
off her cloak, and spread it gently over the body. 

“ Take off the rings, Polly, before we get to the Cove,” 
said Paul. “ We must take care of them, as some day they 
may be wanted if the child should live. It wouldn’t do to 
let the people at the Cove see the gold and stones.” Ac- 
cordingly Polly, not without some difficulty, drew the rings 
from her taper fingers, and unfastened the snap of the neck- 
lace. 

It was well that this had been done, for on their arrival 
at the Cove they found a great influx of people ; the news 
of the wreck had spread rapidly throughout the neighbor- 
hood, and people from all quarters had flocked to the spot. 
Among others was the good clergyman of the neighboring 
village, Dr. Jones, who with his excellent wife had driven 
down to the Cove with a good supply of warm clothing and 
restoratives in case they should be required by the surviv- 
ors from the shipwreck. Alas ! there were none ; the little 
child was the only soul living of all those who but a few 
hours before were happy in their near approach to their 
native land and homes after a long and tedious voyage from 
China. 

“ What have we here ?” cried Dr. Jones, as Paul approach- 
ed the shore. “Ah’s me ! ah’s me ! here’s a disaster,” ex- 
claimed the good man. “No hope, Mr. Grey ; no hope, I’m 
afraid? No, no hope,” he mournfully and slowly repeat- 
ed, as he looked at the figure covered with Polly’s cloak. 
The boat struck the beach, and Polly uncovered the face of 
the drowned mother. “ Ah’s me ! ah’s me ! Poor thing ! 
so young, so lovely ! And did you say a mother ?” asked 
Dr. Jones, in a tone of despair. In a few minutes Paul had 
explained the incident and his suspicions, which touching 


46 


VAST UP BY THE SEA, 


story at once enlisted the sympathy of the good doctor ; but 
Paul said nothing about the trinkets, and merely stated that 
his wife had determined to nurse and to adopt the child. 

A few days after this event a simple funeral entered the 
church-yard of Stoke ; the coffin was carried by some of the 
fishermen of Sandy Cove, foremost of whom was the power- 
ful figure of Paul Grey. Many women and children follow- 
ed as mourners one whom they had never known, but whose 
fate had engaged their sympathies ; and Polly Grey carried 
the infant smiling unconsciously in her arms as it followed 
its dead mother to the grave. The good Dr. Jones not 
only paid the expenses of the funeral, but some weeks aft- 
erward he erected a stone in the form of a cross upon the 
spot, with this short inscription : “ A lady unknown, aged 
about twenty-two. Cast up by the sea at Sandy Cove, 21st 
August, mi.” 

Paul and his wife had returned to their cottage after the 
funeral, when a sudden thought struck him. “ What was 
in the box with the child ? Was there nothing except the 
Indian shawl and the wrapper ?” he asked Polly. 

“Only some thick cotton wool at the bottom for the 
child to lie upon,” said Polly, “ which I did not remove ; 
but if you like I will fetch the box and empty it.” 

In a few minutes she brought the box. “ There is noth- 
ing here, you see, except the wool that makes a kind of bed 
at the bottom.” As she spoke she quickly emptied the con- 
tents in double handfuls. “ What is this ?” she exclaimed, 
as something heavy in a canvas bag suddenly arrested her 
hand. Paul lifted it up from a mass of cotton wool in 
which it was securely packed. 

“ It is gold !” said Paul. Marked in ink upon the bag 
was “ 200 guineas.” 

“Oh Paul,” said Polly, “ this is dreadful! We have 
no right to this money, and its possession will bring some 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


47 


trouble ; what can we do ? Is there no paper in the box — • 
no writing to give some clew to the name of the owner?” 

“ Nothing,” answered Paul, “ nothing, except this baq 
of two hundred guineas, which no doubt the poor lady 
packed with the child. We must stow it away with the 
trinkets in some safe place, until perhaps some day we may 
learn something more about it. It’s lucky that we found 
it, and still more lucky that we didn’t unpack the box in the 
crowd at the Cove : there would have been a pretty scramble 
for the gold.” 

At this moment a knock at the door disturbed the con- 
versation. Paul quickly concealed the bag of gold in the 
wool within the box from which he had taken it, while Pol- 
ly, blushing deeply at the act of caution, hesitated until the 
knock was repeated before she gave a reply. The door 
opened, Dr. Jones entered. 

“ Good-morning, Mrs. Grey. I feared you were not at 
home, which would have disappointed me much, as I wish- 
ed to have some conversation with you about your new 
charge. How is the poor little castaway ?” 

“ Doing very nicely, sir,” replied Polly, “ thank you. It 
is a lovely child, and as strong and healthy as could be 
wished. It does not miss its mother, and there is no fear 
that it will not thrive.” 

“It is a strange thing,” said Dr. Jones, “that we can 
find no clew to the name beyond the letters * K. N.’ upon 
the night-dress. Was there no paper inclosed in any por- 
tion of the clothes or wrappers that were contained in the 
case that held the child ?” 

Polly could not help a slight confusion in manner. It 
was true that no paper had been found: but her natural 
honesty felt repugnant to the idea of concealment, and she 
would gladly have intrusted the good Dr. Jones with the se- 
cret, had not a warning glance from her husband suggest 


48 


CAST UP BY THE SEA 


ed caution. She could only reply, “ There was nothing tlial 
couid give the slightest clew to a discovery ; and strangely 
enough, no portion of the wreck bears a name. No boat 
has been washed on shore, but every thing appears to have 
been dashed to pieces against the rocks; thus we have no 
idea of the vessel, except that portions of the cargo, such as 
bales of silk, suggest that she must have sailed from India. 
Many parts of the beach are strewn with tea-leaves, as every 
chest has been entirely destroyed.” 

“Well,” said Dr. Jones, “we must remember carefully 
every circumstance connected with the disaster, as the time 
may arrive when it will be necessary to prove the identity 
of the child. There can be no doubt, from the appearance 
of the poor mother’s body, that she was a person in a high 
position. Poor thing ! so young and so beautiful ! — so very 
beautiful !” 

“ I have cut off a quantity of her long hair,” said Polly, 
“which I have carefully packed with the — the — the India 
shawl and night-dress.” 

Polly had very nearly said “ the diamond necklace,” and, 
once more annoyed at herself at the necessary concealment, 
she looked imploringly at her husband for permission to re- 
lieve herself of the secret. A look from Paul closed her 
lips. 

“Well,” said Dr. Jones, “the hair may some day be of 
service : it was a good thought, Mrs. Grey — a very good 
thought. Then so the matter rests. The child has fallen 
into kind hands, thank God ; and when you have done your 
portion of the good work, and he grows to the proper age, 
I must begin my share, and he must come to school.” 

Dr. Jones was the clergyman, and also the school-master, 
of the village of Stoke ; he was much beloved, and being a 
man of considerable fortune combined with a generous dis- 
position, he was looked upon as the father of the poor in 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


49 


his neighborhood. He kept a school simply because he 
loved to bring up boys according to his own ideas of mo- 
rality ; therefore, without considering pecuniary profit, he 
received the pupils of the wealthy as boarders, while he 
gratuitously admitted as daily scholars many of the poorer 
classes, but judiciously arranged them in separate forms: 
in fact, Parson Jones, as he was generally called, was a thor- 
oughly good specimen of a Christian minister, and he had 
the rare qualities of good common-sense and judgment com- 
bined with other virtues. The case of the drowned lady 
and the infant child that was supposed to belong to her had 
struck deeply upon his imagination, and Parson Jones had 
resolved to keep an eye upon the child throughout his ca- 
reer ; he had known Polly Grey from her infancy, as her 
parents, who were now both dead, had been his parishioners, 
and he had almost regretted that she had married Paul, 
who followed the hazardous occupation of a fisherman, 
while so many well-to-do farmers had striven for her hand. 
However, it was he who had himself married them ; there- 
fore he took an additional interest in their welfare, and he 
felt perfectly satisfied that the child had fallen into the kind 
hands of Polly Grey. 


CHAPTER III. 


T WELVE years had passed away since the storm ol 1 785. 

There had been few changes in Sandy Cove, except that 
boys had grown to manhood, and those who were girls were 
now mothers of families ; but among the adult population 
there had been little alteration, with the exception of a few 
deaths among the older people. The cottage stood upon 
the cliff as neatly whitewashed as before ; the myrtles in 
the little garden had grown larger, but otherwise there was 
no change ; and Polly Grey, almost as charming as ever, 
but rather saddened in expression, sat before her cottage 
door knitting a woolen comforter, and anxiously watching 
the sea. 

It was about an hour before sunset in the same month 
i)f August when twelve years ago the Indiaman had been 
driven on the shore. There was a silence about the cot- 
tage and an absence of many little trifles that showed that 
Polly Grey had no children at home ; indeed, there was a 
superstition in the village that old Mother Lee had once 
cursed her, and some pretended a recollection of certain 
words that she had uttered when, in a fit of rage, she spat 
upon the ground, and said, “ Yer’ll get no other, Polly Grey, 
except what’s cast up from the sea.” Certain it was, that 
Polly had never had a child since the death of her first and 
her adoption of the little castaway. 

The small land-locked bay was quite empty — not a boat 
floated upon the clear blue water, but a few skiffs lay upon 
the beach where nets were spread out to dry, and the smart 


VAST UP BY THE SEA. 


5 } 


lugger, the Polly of olden times, was nowhere to be seen. 
In the silence of the moment, Polly was startled by the 
rattle of pebbles on the steep zigzag path. This was almost 
immediately followed by the appearance of a fine, bronzed 
looking man about forty years of age in the uniform of a 
revenue-officer, with the empty sleeve on his left pinned up 
£o the shoulder. v 

“ Good-evening, Mrs. Grey. Are you alone ? for I have 
a few words to say to you in particular,” said Captain 
Smart. 

“ Ah, my good friend,” said Polly, “ I am glad to see you, 
for I was just feeling melancholy ; the boat should have re- 
turned yesterday, and, although the wind is fair, I see no 
sign of a sail even yet : what can have happened ? The 
weather is fine, and Paul promised me that he would not 
be away two days — this is the third !” 

J oe Smart, the old friend of the family, looked serious ; 
and sitting upon the bench by Polly’s side he explained his 
errand. 

“ My dear Mrs. Grey, don’t be alarmed about his safety, 
but as your oldest friend I have come to give you a timely 
warning. A revenue cruiser has been sent to capture the 
Polly , and Paul is either taken at this moment, or he is 
chased by the Government cutter, as the Polly is declared 
to be a smuggler. Now as Paul’s old friend I have often 
given him advice upon this point, and as his Majesty’s offi- 
cer I have hardly done my duty ; but let me implore you, 
should he escape this chance, prevent him from such a 
course, which must lead to ruin.” 

Polly shook her head. 

“ I fear that I have not the influence that I once had,” 
said she. “ Paul is always kind, but I feel sure that there 
are thoughts on his mind that he does not share with me 
It is good of you to be our friend, but that will do but lit- 
4 


CAST UP BY THE SKA. 


5 * 

tie good should Paul be caught. Do you know where the 
Polly went?” 

“ The information we have received is this,” said Captain 
Smart. “ Although we are at war with France, there is a 
league between the French smugglers and those of this 
coast. They have their private places of appointment, and 
they meet at sea out of sight of land, where they exchange 
cargoes. The French then run English goods upon their 
coast, while our people smuggle spirits, lace, silks, and oth- 
er valuable articles that pay a high duty. The Polly has 
always been suspected, but nothing could be proved until 
evidence was given a week ago that has confirmed their 
suspicions : thus an order has been received from head- 
quarters to chase and board her, and to capture her should 
contraband goods be found.” 

Although Polly Grey was anxious at this intelligence it 
was not absolutely new to her. In those days there was 
nothing that was considered dishonorable in a smuggler’s 
occupation among the fraternity, and now that Polly heard 
of the intended capture of her husband’s boat her sailor’s 
blood was up. “ It will be no revenue cutter that will 
catch the Polly” said Polly Grey ; “ there’s nothing on the 
south coast that can touch her, and there’s no man that dare 
lay a hand on Paul !” 

Joe Smart smiled at her woman’s pi'ide, and rose to say 
good-by. He good-naturedly shook her hand, and said, 
“ I’m your true friend, Mrs. Grey ; there’s no friend like an 
old one, and I have done my duty in giving you a hint. 
Heaven forbid that I should ever be forced to act as a rev- 
enue-officer against Paul Grey ! Good-by, and may he 
have no ill luck !” 

As Joe Smart disappeared Polly could not help looking 
once more anxiously toward the sea, at the same time she 
pondered over the warning of their old friend. The real 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


53 


fact was, that Paul had gradually increased in his daring 
adventures, and he had now engaged in the contraband 
trade to an extent that a few years ago he would have be- 
lieved impossible. He had never confided these acts to his 
wife, although he had frequently brought packages to the 
cottage which he confessed he had purchased from French 
boats without paying the duty ; these were usually secret 
ed in a long but narrow cave, which entered the cliff from 
the kitchen. This room, being built directly against the 
rock as a wall, was arranged, as usual in kitchens, with 
many cupboards. One of these against the rock had a 
false back, so that the door when open merely showed what 
appeared to be the cupboard itself arranged with shelves. 
By removing a bolt, the entire affair moved backward upon 
hinges, and opened into the gallery of the cliff. This cave 
was about fifty feet in length, and, although only the width 
of the cupboard at the entrance, it widened toward the ex- 
tremity to a chamber of about twenty feet square. It was 
in this chamber that Polly had originally concealed the neck- 
lace and locket, together with the bag of two hundred guin 
eas that had been found in the box with the child after the 
wreck. They were carefully packed together with the 
shawl in the same case in which they had been washed 
ashore. 

Although Polly had no more idea of the disgrace c f 
smuggling on a small scale than a lady might have in land- 
ing with a dozen pairs of gloves, she had always been afraid 
that Paul was more deeply engaged in contraband than he 
chose to admit, and she had now no longer any doubt, after 
her conversation with Joe Smart, that he was embarked in 
a most dangerous course. Paul had drifted so gradually 
into the trade that he could not see the dishonesty. He 
was like many others in those days who, scrupulously cor- 
rect in all other matters, yet thought it no sin to cheat the 


54 


CAST U1 J BY THE SEA . 


Government. Thus with his great experience of the coast, 
and his excellence in seamanship, combined with the fine 
sea-going qualities of the Folly , he was one of the most 
successful in his trade. He had long since paid off the sum 
idvanced upon his boat by his friend J oe Smart, and ho 
vas now sole owner, with a crew of eight picked men. 

The sun was just sinking half imbedded in the sea in 
x broad glare of ruddy light when a sail was suddenly de- 
scried, illumined by a red glow which rapidly sank, and 
shortly gave place to gray : it was now no longer visible, 
and the anxious wife strained her eyes along the darkening 
horizon, almost believing that the sail had been a fancied 
apparition. The breeze was blowing freshly from the sea, 
and, the twilight having ceased, the night became perfectly 
dark, as there was no moon. 

Polly lighted her lamp, which she hung at the window, 
in addition to the candles that burned upon the table. 
“ They will see that light far out at sea,” she thought ; “ it’s 
a dark night to find the entrance to the Cove !” 

More than one hour passed away ; there was no sound 
except the whistling of the wind and the sullen roll of the 
breakers against the rocks. Somehow the sound that night 
reminded her of the storm twelve years ago. There was 
a moaning in the air that recalled the commencement of the 
disastrous hurricane. Another hour struck, and although 
for many years she had known the tone of the old wooden 
clock, it seemed to beat the hour with a peculiar sound that 
again recalled the scene of that fearful night when old 
Mother Lee had appeared like an evil spirit and prophesied 
disaster. The wind was now blowing a gale; another 
hour passed. Again the old clock struck ; it was eleven, 
and the sea was now roaring against the cliffs : but there 
was no sound of man. She rose in a great state of nervous 
excitement and looked out of the window; it was pitchy 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


55 


dark, and the wild, peculiar moan of the gale betokened a 
sou’-wester. Borne down with anxiety, she sat at the table 
and buried her face in her hands as she offered a fervent 
prayer for the protection of all she loved. Suddenly, with 
a suppressed scream, she started from her chair as a hor- 
rible chuckle struck upon her ear, followed by the low mus- 
tered tones, “ Luck comes from the sou’ - west, ha, ha !” 
For an instant she had covered her eyes, but upon with- 
drawing her hands the hideous figure of Mother Lee stood 
before her. 

“ What brings you here, Mother Lee, at this late hour?” 
exclaimed Polly ; “ has any thing happened ? Do you come 
with evil news?” she asked, her anxiety for the moment 
overcoming her repugnance to the old woman. 

“That’s as you choose to take it; but you’re a pretty 
watcher !” said Mother Lee. “Your eyes are like a mole’s 
that yer haven’t seen them coming ! You’re a pretty sail- 
or’s wife, to mope in the house when the storm’s brewing, 
and yer husband’s running before the cruiser I Fie on yer ! 
yer not the wench for Paul Grey. To go moping over yer 
Bible ! That won’t help him like a fire on the Point ! 
Look out and see what Mother Lee has worked! The 
cruiser won’t be long before she strikes the rock ! Blow 
out your lights !” Polly had hardly recovered from her 
surprise before the old woman, having suited the action to 
the word, had extinguished the candles and the lamp — they 
were in total darkness. “Now you’ll see Mother Lee’s 
handiwork! Come out and look at the Point. I came 
here to blow out your stupid lights !” 

Polly instinctively followed the old woman as she left the 
house. She could hardly stand against the wind, but she 
at once saw two bright lights ; one upon the extremity of 
either Point that formed the narrow entrance to the Cove, 
while far out at sea she observed something like a star tha t 


5Q 


VAST UF BY THE SEA . 


occasionally disappeared. In a few minutes a long streak 
of fire ascended from the sea at a great distance, and burst 
into a number of red balls. 

“ What a bright meteor ! or was it lightning ?” exclaimed 
Polly. 

“ There’s meaning in the flash,” muttered Mother Lee; 
“ yer’ll see another presently.” In a few minutes a similar 
light shot up from the dark sea. “Now look to the east,” 
said Mother Lee, “ and yer’ll soon understand it.” Hardly 
had she spoken the words when on the high cliff about five 
miles distant, occupied by the coast-guard station, a rocket 
flew to the clouds and burst into a cluster of blue stars. 

“ Now Paul Grey, lead ’em a dance ! and steer straight 
between the fires !” chuckled Mother Lee, “ while I go and 
put ’em out when all’s right. She’ll break her bones if she 
follows — yes — ha, ha ! ha, ha ! What a night ! There’s all 
luck from the sou’- west ! Mother Lee knows a trick or two 
— ha, ha, ha !” and the old woman with astonishing activity 
disappeared down the steep declivity, and left Polly alone 
in the dark and stormy night. All other feelings now gave 
way to his wife’s anxiety ; she saw that the old woman had 
better information than herself. There could be no doubt 
that Paul’s boat was chased by a revenue cruiser that now 
exchanged signals with the coast-guard on shore ; thus he 
would run a double danger, as, although he might possibly 
avoid the cruiser, he would most probably be met upon ar- 
rival in the Cove by a party that would be immediately 
dispatched from the coast-guard station to search his ves- 
sel. Polly now understood Mother Lee’s reason for extin- 
guishing her lights ; there could be little doubt that the two 
fires to guide the entrance to the Cove were the result of a 
preconcerted arrangement with which her third light would 
have interfered ; but she could not help feeling hurt that 
her husband had not reposed the same confidence in her 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


57 


that he had evidently shared with others. This corrobora* 
ted all that she had heard from Captain Smart, and she had 
no longer any doubt that Paul was far more deeply en- 
gaged in smuggling enterprise than she had imagined. 

She had been watching nervously for about half an hour 
tfince Mother Lee had departed in the midst of the violent 
storm, when suddenly a bright cloud of sparks flew from 
one of the fires upon the Point, and it was almost immedi- 
ately extinguished ; a similar effect was nearly at the same 
time produced on the opposite fire, and the two bright 
lights disappeared ; the entire scene was total darkness, while 
the wind and waves roared louder than before. Polly with- 
drew into her cottage, and striking a light she once more 
waited anxiously. She could not sit down, and she paced 
the room in intense excitement. What could have happen- 
ed? Had the boat arrived? She had neither heard nor 
seen any thing, only the sudden extinction of the fires ; the 
noise of the storm and the darkness had obscured all else. 

The old clock struck one, and hardly had the vibration 
of the bell ceased, when the sound of hurried footsteps was 
heard on the outside. Polly flew to the door as it opened 
suddenly, and Paul Grey quickly entered the room, carry- 
ing on his broad shoulders an immense bale. He was im- 
mediately followed by a handsome young sailor boy, who 
appeared to be about fourteen years of age, who also car- 
ried with difficulty a heavy package, which he threw down 
upon the floor, and in the next moment he was embraced 
in the arms of Polly Grey. 

« Now, Polly, this is no time for kissing,” cried Paul; 
“ there’s much to be done and little time to do it. Open 
the cupboard as quick as you can ; for this is a heavy load, 
I can tell you, and there’s more to come.” 

As Paul said, there was no time for kissing, for six men 
new entered the room, each laden with a heavy bale, which 


58 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


by Paul’s directions they deposited upon the floor, and im. 
mediately withdrew. In the mean time Polly had gone 
into the kitchen and opened the secret door of the gallery, 
into which, after about ten minutes’ labor, Paul, with the 
assistance of his wife and the young sailor, had carried and 
concealed the eight packages. 

With great dispatch Polly then spread a clean cloth upon 
a round oak table, upon which in a few minutes appeared 
a large round of cold boiled beef, with a loaf of brown 
bread and a huge jug of ale. 

“ I must have a pull at the beer before I can speak,” said 
Paul; “but here, Ned, you must be thirsty too,” said he, 
as he poured out a large hornful for the lad before he drank. 
In the next instant both man and boy were silent — the only 
sound was the rapid gurgling as the grateful drink poured 
down their throats. 

“ Now then,” said Paul, as he took a deep sigh as he re- 
placed the half-emptied jug. “ Polly, we’ve had a sharp 
run for it; haven’t we, Ned? But there’s nothing afloat 
that can catch the Polly , especially when it’s blowing a gale 
like to-night.” 

“ I didn’t like the running, mother,” said the boy ; “ I 
would rather fight the cutter than see the Polly run away.” 
The bright blue eyes of the lad sparkled with excitement, 
at the same time a deep blush tinged his cheek when he 
added, “ I don’t like the work of to-night, for, although not 
ashamed to be beaten in a fair fight, I should have felt dis- 
graced had we been taken by the cruiser. I hope we are 
not doing wrong, mother, but I felt as though we were not 
in the right.” 

Paul took another long pull at the ale to avoid the neces- 
sity of a reply. 

“ Tell me what has happened, Ned,” said Polly, as she 
drew her chair to his side, and parted the bright waving 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


59 


hair from his forehead. “ How hot and tired you look, my 
dear boy ! What made you so late ? Tell me the whole 
story, for I have had a miserable time since your father 
left.” 

Although Ned Grey was only twelve years old (as it was 
exactly that time since he had been first pressed to Polly 
Grey’s bosom when she recalled the unconscious infant to 
existence after the memorable shipwreck), he looked at 
least fourteen. He was remarkably tall, and powerfully and 
gracefully built ; his features were almost too regular, as the 
small mouth and curled lip and delicately-arched nose would 
have been almost feminine had they not been contradicted 
by a brow of most decided character, with deep-blue eyes 
that, although large and soft, brightened with unmistakable 
fire in a moment of excitement. There was an air of noble 
frankness and honesty of expression that, independently of 
other attractions, would have stamped him as a boy of high 
character at first sight. This, combined with his handsome 
and manly appearance, had gained him friends among all 
who knew him. 

“ Well, mother,” said Ned ; “ it was simply this : When 
we left the Cove the other day we went to the coast of 
France, and on our way back we spoke a French lugger 
about half-way between this and France, and father made 
some purchases from her captain — those very bales that we 
brought home to-night, and a dozen kegs of brandy; but 
hardly had we got them stowed on board than a strange 
sail hove in sight, and the French lugger was off in a min- 
ute. We followed her. The strange sail chased us; and, 
as the French lugger could not sail as fast as the Polly , we 
went on another tack, and the strange sail that father thinks 
was an English brig-of-war chose the slower boat, and went 
after the Frenchman. We were now free; but the wind 
being northerly we had to beat up against it to get home* 


60 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


However, at daybreak this morning we met a fishing-smack 
from this coast, from which we learned that the revenue 
cutter had been sent out on purpose to look after the Polly. 
Sure enough a few hours later we saw a fine, smart-looking 
cutter bearing down upon us, with the English flag flying, 
and as we did not alter our course, she fired a gun. As we 
took no notice, she fired another. This time it was shotted, 
and we could see the white spray leap three times from the 
water as the shot bounded along the surface, quite a mile 
and a half too short to reach us. 

“ Suddenly the wind dropped, and it turned calm for 
hours, and neither of us could go ahead. At length the 
wind changed, and came in puffs from the south-west; this 
soon turned to a gale, and the race began in earnest. The 
cutter sailed well, and the Polly could just hold her own 
until the sea got up ; then we had the best of it, for noth- 
ing can touch her in a heavy sea : the cutter plunged bows 
under, while the Polly hardly wetted her decks, but scud- 
ded along like a bird. Night came on, and although we 
could not see the cutter we could now and then distinguish 
a light on board. We knew we were running on the land, 
and the gale had turned to a storm. It was awful work, 
as we knew the danger of the coast, when all of a sudden 
we saw a bright light to the north ; then we saw another 
close to it, as though they were almost touching. At this 
time we saw a rocket sent up from the cutter, which, as 
nearly as we could guess, was about three miles astern. 
Again she fired a rocket, which was quickly answered from 
the shore. 

“ ‘ This is touch and go !’ said father ; still on we flew 
with the gale right abeam, and the lugger in her best trim 
going like a racehorse. ‘ Hurrah !’ cried father, ‘ Mother Lee 
has got her lamps trimmed and as we approached the two 
lights widened apart. £ That’s the mouth of the Cove,’ said 


VP BY THE SEA, 


61 


CAc '* 

father ; ‘ we are all right if we can see to clear the Iron 
Rock.’ 

“ Father had the helm, and not a word was spoken on 
the deck as we went hissing through the water. The lights 
were now pretty wide apart, and we knew we were getting 
close in. ‘ Starboard !’ shouted a man at the fore-mast, as 
we could just see the white foam surging in a huge breaker 
over the Iron Rock within a cable’s length of us ; in another 
moment we passed within thirty yards of the breakers, and 
presently we shot direct into the mouth of the bay between 
the two fires on the cliffs. We could see the old woman at 
one fire and a man at the other : directly we had passed 
both fires were suddenly put out. We anchored in the 
bay ; father left two men in the Polly with orders to sink 
the kegs of brandy, while we landed in the pinnace with 
the bales which we have just put away; and glad I was, 
mother dear, to see the light at home, and to find you wait- 
ing for us. Rut I don’t like the work, mother ; and I don’t/ 
think it’s all over yet.” 

“ Well, Ned, you sha’n’t go again unless you like,” said 
Paul; “but there’s no harm in buying and selling fairly. 
All’s honest and above-board ; and if the Polly 1 s too long in 
the legs for the King’s boats she has a right to earn a penny 
for a new set of sails. We don’t rob the Government of 
the duty ; if we didn’t bring the silks through the French- 
men would, so the country loses nothing and we gain.” 

The conversation was suddenly interrupted. At this 
moment the windows of the cottage shook violently at the 
loud report of a cannon that appeared almost close to the 
cliff. All sprang to their feet, and looking through the 
window, rocket after rocket whizzed high in the air. Again 
a vivid flash was followed by the concussion of a gun, and 
as Paul and Ned rushed out to the terrace a fearful sight 
was presented. Brightly illumined by the burning of a 


62 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


blue light which rendered not only objects on the deck but 
every rope distinctly visible, the fine revenue cutter lay fix- 
ed upon the Iron Rock. A wave rolled completely over her, 
and at once extinguished the light that had for a few mo- 
ments exhibited her distress ; at the same instant a tremen- 
dous crash was heard as her mast fell over the side. Again 
a flash and heavy report, then once more a blue light burn- 
ed, and showed the fearful havoc that had been wrought 
in a few minutes : dismasted, and with her decks confused 
with the fallen sail and rigging, and her immense boom ly- 
ing across the quarter-deck. The crew were attempting to 
save themselves on the spars. Several men clung to the 
mast ; but again the sea broke completely over her, and 
swept away not only the light but the unfortunate man that 
held it. All was complete darkness ; but above the tumult 
of wind and waves a cry of distress could be distinctly 
heard. 

Without loss of time Paul and Ned had seized two coils 
of rope from the cottage stores, and were making the best 
of their way along the edge of the cliff to the projecting 
point at the right of the entrance to the bay upon which 
Mother Lee had originally lighted the fire. This point was 
not far from the Iron Rock, and should any strong swimmer 
be able to reach it he would either be able to enter the 
Cove, or should he miss the mouth he would be dashed to 
pieces against the perpendicular cliff. Paul thought that 
the mast with the clinging crew might be driven in this 
direction, he had therefore taken ropes to haul them up the 
rock should it be possible to save them. He had also pro- 
vided himself with a crowbar to drive into the ground, to 
which he could make fast a rope should it be necessary for 
him to descend. Ned carried a lantern, but the way was so 
dangerous along the edge of the cliff that much caution was 
required in their advance. 


CAST UT BY THE SEA . 


63 


In the mean time a person was already at the extremity 
of the Point, exactly opposite to the Iron Rock upon which 
the cutter lay. Mother Lee, after having extinguished her 
fire, had remained upon the spot to revel in the calamity 
that she had expected. 

As the Polly , guided by the two fires, had scudded 
through the mouth of the bay beneath her feet, she guessed 
that the cutter would approach so near in pursuit as to be 
unable to weather the Iron Rock in so violent a gale on a 
lee shore. Mother Lee was always in ecstasy amid scenes 
of suffering ; but as her husband had been hanged for pi- 
racy and murder, she bore an infernal hatred to all officers 
of the Crown, but more especially to those of the coast- 
guard, by whom he had been captured. She now sat crouch- 
ed like an old owl among the loose fragments of rock upon 
the extreme point of the cliff ; but could her face have bee* 
distinguished an intense earnestness would have been ob. 
served as she bent her head on one side, and with one hand 
raised to assist her hearing, she strained her ears for any 
sound that should be heard beneath. At length she start- 
ed. There could be no doubt — it was a voice, then another 
still more distinct, from the raging sea, two hundred feet 
below ! 

“ Hold on, my lads, never fear 1 stick your feet out when 
we near the rocks !” 

“ I can’t hold on much longer. Oh, my poor Sarah !” ex- 
claimed a despairing voice in reply. 

At this moment the mast, with six men clinging to it, 
including the captain of the cutter, was washed against the 
cliff exactly below the Point upon which the old woman 
was perched. Fortunately the spar was brought at right 
angles across the extreme point of the entrance to the bar, 
so that, could the men only retain their hold in the fright* 
ful surf that beat against the perpendicular rock, both the 


64 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


mast and themselves would have a good chance of being 
washed directly into the mouth of the Cove, in which case 
they might be saved. 

“ Hold fast, my lads ! Never say die !” shouted the same 
manly voice of encouragement from below, as one end of 
the mast struck violently against the rock. 

“ Lord help us !” screamed a voice of agony ; “ help !” 

“ Hold fast !” was again heard, as the breakers forced 
the entire length of the mast broadside on against the 
rocks and jammed the unfortunate men against the cliff. 

Old Mother Lee had stood up, and she leaned over the 
cliff, listening to the terrible struggle for life. 

a Ha ! ha !” she chuckled. 

“ Lord help us !” 

“I’ll help ye! Yer helped my Stephen, didn’t yer? 
Here’s help for yer ! and here ! And here’s more help ! 
Curses on yer ! here’s more help ! Ha ! ha ! I heard that 
strike ! D’ye like it ? Here’s another !” 

The old woman, with incredible strength, in a frenzy of 
fury lifted large blocks of stone from the rocky ground, and 
showered them at random upon the unfortunate sailors be- 
low. A fragment of stone of many pounds’ weight fell 
upon the head of the gallant captain with a dull crash, and 
his lifeless body slipped from the mast and disappeared 
amid the surf. Another, and then a third, succumbed to 
the pitiless shower cf stones which the old hag rolled with- 
out intermission from the height. Two men had been 
crushed to death against the cliff by the mast driven by the 
surf. Only one remained ; several rocks bounded past him, 
and two had struck the mast within a few inches of his 
hands. 

Just at this moment Paul and Ned arrived, and found 
Mother Lee in the act of heaving another piece of rock ovei 
the edge of the cliff j in her excitement she had neither 


CAST UP Bt THE SEA . 


65 


heard them approach nor had she seen the light, as her at- 
tention had been directed below. 

Startled at the unexpected sight of the old woman, Paul 
halted for a moment just as she hurled a large stone over 
the precipice. At the same time a loud cry of distress 
from beneath rang upon his ear. The horrible truth flash- 
ed upon him as Mother Lee turned round, and he read the 
deed in the fearful expression of her features. 

“ Cursed old fiend !” shouted Paul, as he seized her by 
the waist, and lifting her like an infant in the air, he swung 
her above his head; and in another moment Mother Lee 
would have been flying over the rock into the boiling surf 
had not Ned caught Paul’s arm, and checked his first im- 
pulse of retribution. 

Throwing her upon the ground behind him, Paul halloo- 
ed out, “ Who’s below ?” 

“ Help me ! I’m nearly done, massa,” replied a foreign 
voice. 

“ Hold on, my good fellow !” shouted Paul, “ I’ll be with 
you directly ! Don’t give in.” 

Just at this moment a heavy sea sweeping round the cor- 
ner turned the mast end on against the Point, and another 
sea striking it quickly after, it was driven directly into the 
mouth of the Cove against the face of the cliff. Once more 
Paul leaned over the precipice with the lamp in his hand. 
“ Are you all right ?” he shouted. 

“ Nearly done, massa,” was the only reply. 

“ Hold on for a couple of minutes, and you’re safe,” cried 
Paul; at the same time with a few vigorous strokes he 
drove the iron bar deep into a fissure of the rock. Taking 
a round turn of the rope upon the bar, he slipped a noose 
between Ned’s legs. “Now Ned, my boy, prove yourself 
a man ; all depends on you ; take this spare rope with you 
while I lower you down, and secure it round the poor fel- 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


6G 

low’s body. Mind yourself when you get near the mast 
fcnat you don’t get jammed, and halloo to me when you’re 
all right.” 

Without a moment’s hesitation Ned fell upon his knees 
and hands, and crawling to the edge of the cliff he grasped 
the tightened rope, and, as Paul slacked it off rapidly, in a 
few seconds he was swinging in the air descending quickly 
to the rescue. 

The noise of the waves increased as he drew nearer to 
the water. “I’m coming! Cheer up !” he shouted to the 
person below, whom he could presently distinguish as a 
dark object clinging to the cross-trees of the mast; this 
was so frequently and violently driven against the cliff as 
to render it impossible for him to reach the man in distress. 
Accordingly, when only a few feet above the water, he shout- 
ed to Paul, “ Hold hard !” at the same time he threw an 
3nd of the spare coil to the nearly exhausted sailor, and told 
him to make the loop fast by putting one leg through it and 
holding on. Three times he threw the rope without suc- 
cess, but on the fourth time it was caught, and in a few in- 
stants it was properly secured. “ Haul away on the spare 
rope,” he shouted to Paul. “ I’m all right.” 

Almost immediately the dark object was raised from the 
boiling surf, and swinging in the air. It for an instant 
struck against Ned as it continued to ascend. “Hurrah !” 
shouted Ned, as he patted him on the shoulder as he passed, 
dragged quickly up the cliff by the tremendous strength 
of Paul’s muscles. In the mean time Paul worked like a 
machine ; “ Take care of your hands now !” he shouted, 
“ you’re just at the top ! I’ll give you a hand over the cliff.” 
In another moment Paul had caught him by the wrist, and 
dragged him in safety to the surface. 

“ Tank God, massa ! tank God !” said the dark object, as 
it fell and clasped Paul’s knees. 



NED SAVES TIM FROM THE WRECK. 





CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


69 


“ Halloo !” exclaimed Paul, as he held the lantern to the 
face of the new arrival ; “ a nigger boy, I declare ! poor fel- 
low ! why, he’s nearly perished with cold ! Here, my lad, 
give us a hand, and help me to haul up the boy, for you owe 
your life to Ned, who’s down below.” 

“Look out, Ned !” cried Paul, “ hold fast ! Now haul 
away, boy!” and in a few minutes Ned arrived safely on 
the top, and warmly shook the nigger boy by the hand. 

The young negro was a fine lad of about fourteen, and 
he immediately grasped the hand that Ned had given him, 
and pressed it to his thick lips, while he endeavored to ex- 
press his gratitude in a few sentences rendered almost un- 
intelligible by the excitement. 

“ Nigger boy almost gone — hear good massa call ; — then 
nigger pray to God, and hold fast like de debbel. — Then big 
stones come down from rock, kill de poor cappen — break 
his ’ed, all smash close to nigger boy. — All de people knock- 
ed off de mast by de waves — only nigger stick tight. Oh, 
my poor cappen ! he’s gone ! only cappen love de nigger boy 
— he my fader and my moder.” At this painful remem- 
brance the boy burst into a fit of sobbing, and looking over 
the edge of the dark cliff he wished to descend again, in the 
hope of finding the body of the captain, his late master. 

“ It’s of no use,” said Ned ; “ there’s no one left, and 
nothing can be done. But cheer up, lad,” he continued, 
“ if the poor captain’s dead, my father and mother will be 
good to you.” 

“Yes,” said Paul; “ come along, boy, and get some dry 
clothes ; we’ll do the best we can for you. Be a man ; it’s 
of no use crying over the bad job ; but if that isn’t a cold- 
blooded murder I never heard of one, and old Mother Lee 
should swing for it. If it hadn’t been for you, Ned, I think 
I should have chucked her over ; but I’m glad I didn’t for 
she’ll come to a worse end if there’s justice in the world.” 


70 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


They now cautiously picked their way among the loose 
stones on the dangerous path, and soon arrived at the cot- 
tage, where Polly Grey was anxiously waiting for their re- 
turn. The negro boy was made comfortable and fed, and 
was shortly snoring upon some clean straw in the kitchen, 
forgetting all his troubles in sound sleep. 

About two hours before daybreak a party of the coast- 
guard arrived, under the command of Captain Smart; they 
had heard the guns and seen the signals of distress, but they 
were too late to see a vestige of the cutter, which had al- 
ready broken up and totally disappeared. Not a soul had 
been saved, with the exception of the negro boy. 

It was hardly light when they shoved off from the beach 
in a skiff, and quickly boarded the Polly , that was lying 
at anchor and rolling heavily in the bay. Her decks had 
already been washed, and every rope was in its place ; the 
strictest search could discern nothing except a supply of 
provisions and water, together with a certain amount of. 
pig-iron ballast. 

“ You don’t often use the trawl-net,” said Captain Smart 
to one of the Polly's men ; “ your decks are as clean as a 
man-of-war.” 

“ D’ye like ’em dirty ?” replied the sailor, “ cos if you 
do you must come along with us when we’re fishing.” 

“ When’s that ? not often, I think,” apswered Captain 
Smart. 

“ We’ll send up to the station and let you know,” said 
the sulky smuggler, who was by no means pleased with the 
visit. “ You’ll be safer on board along with us than on the 
King’s cutter.” 

“ That’s very likely,” said Captain Smart ; “ how did the 
cutter manage to get ashore ?” 

“ It don’t want much management to get ashore here in 
a sou’-wester,” replied the dogged sailor : “ it don't want 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


71 


much laming on a dark night to bump on the Iron Rock: 
even a King’s officer knows enough for that” 

“ What brought her here ?” asked Captain Smart, in the 
hope of getting some account of the chase. 

“Well, I suppose it was the same wind as brought us 
here,” continued the ill-tempered fellow ; “ and sarve her 
right that she’s broke her bones, for her conduct was what 
I call ungenteel. 

“ Yer see, the Polly was waiting for a chance to fish on 
a good bit of ground that we knows of, when up comes a 
cutter with a fine breeze, and without more ado she bangs 
a shot right into we, that came so close between the captain 
and me that it knocked the pipe out of my mouth, and took 
his cap off. 

“ ‘ That’s purliteness,’ says I ; ‘ praps she’s been edicated 
in France,’ says I ; when bang ! comes another shot, which 
luckily missed us. 

“ 1 It’s only the French that has such uncivil manners,’ 
says the captain; ‘it’s a privateer; so we’d better show 
’em the Polly’s stern, and run for home ; praps we’ll meet 
with a King’s ship that’ll be a match for her.’ 

“ So off we went, and the Polly showed ’em the way, I 
can tell you. Well, it blowed a gale to be sure in a short 
time, just what the Polly likes, and we came in like a duck 
through night as dark as pitch ; but the Polly knows her 
way. Then yer see it turns out that the cutter wasn’t a 
Frenchman, after all, more’s the pity she began talking 
French ; so yer see she got in a mess, and I say sarves her 
right for her unpoliteness as a King’s ship in firing at we 
just as though the Polly had been a Frenchman !” 

Having delivered himself of this veracious account, Dick 
Stone proceeded to fill his short pipe, that had apparently 
recovered from the shock of the cannon-ball, and, having 
struck a light, he leaned against the mast, and shortly be* 


72 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


came enveloped in a cloud of tobacco-smoke ; nothing would 
induce him to utter another word. 

Joe Smart was rejoiced in his heart that his search had 
been unsuccessful. Nothing pained him so deeply as the 
necessity of acting in his official capacity against his old 
friend Paul; but such stringent orders had been received 
to keep a watch over the proceedings of Sandy Cove that 
he had no choice. Returning to the shore he left his 
men, and ascended the zigzag path to visit Paul’s cottage 
on the high cliff. The smoke was already issuing from 
the kitchen chimney as he arrived, and Paul Grey met him 
at the door. 

“Ha, Joe !” he said, “ you’re up betimes this morning ! 
But I don’t wonder ; we had but little sleep ourselves last 
night.” 

“Is no one saved?” asked Joe Smart. 

“ Only a poor little nigger,” replied Paul, “ and it was a 
wonder that we rescued him.” He then narrated the en- 
tire adventure faithfully from the commencement ; differing 
considerably from the account of Dick Stone on board the 
lugger. 

While the two friends were sitting together on the bench 
at the cottage door Polly was preparing breakfast. In the 
mean time Joe Smart took the opportunity to explain to 
Paul the severity of the instructions he had received, and 
to implore him to consider the position in which not only 
he, but also his wife, would be placed should detection lead 
to their ruin. 

But Paul had his own private opinion concerning smug- 
gling ; he had persuaded himself that any tax was an act 
of oppression, and that the principles of free trade should 
be supported to the fullest extent ; thus no argument of 
J oe Smart’s had the slightest influence upon his mode of 
reasoning, and he remained obstinate in his dogma that 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


73 


every man had a right to supply his wants from the cheap- 
est market, and that any impost upon foreign goods that 
had become the private property of an Englishman was a 
direct robbery. He would not deny that he had dealt in 
contraband articles ; but “ Never mind me,” he replied to 
his friend Joe Smart ; “ friends or not, if you ever catch the 
Polly , don’t hesitate to seize her if you find smuggled goods 
on board. I’ll take my chance, Joe ; you do your duty, and 
I’ll look after mine. But now come in to breakfast, and 
Polly ’ll give you such a cup of tea as you won’t get every 
day, and what’s more, it never paid the Government a 
penny.” 

In a few minutes the party were sitting at the table. 
Polly had prepared a substantial breakfast of fried soles 
fresh from the bay ; while a huge brown loaf and masses 
of bright yellow butter, with a sturdy joint of cold beef, 
were ready for the sharp morning appetites. 

There was a curious contrast in the fair waving hair and 
the large blue eyes of young Ned Grey and the black woolly 
head and the dark eyes of the negro boy as they sat together 
at the table ; but Tim, as the latter was called, was looking 
his best, and was no longer the miserable half-drowned ob- 
ject of the previous night; he had washed his black face 
with soap till it shone like a well-polished boot ; he was dress- 
ed in a suit of Ned’s clothes, and as he looked at the well- 
spread table a grin of happiness exposed a long row of snow- 
white teeth, and for the moment the affectionate but hun- 
gry Tim forgot the loss of the captain of the cutter. 

Tim was an abbreviation of Timbuctoo. At the time 
of our story the West India Islands were the gems of our 
colonies, as the labor required for the plantations was sup 
plied by negro slaves imported from the West Coast of Af- 
rica. These people were collected at various stations on 
the African coast by native dealers, who purchased them 


74 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


for beads, fire-arms, cotton cloths, etc., from the native 
chiefs, who brought them from the interior. As the whole 
of Central Africa is composed of separate tribes who are 
constantly at war with each other, the prisoners taken are 
invariably retained as slaves unless they are sacrificed as 
offerings to the fetish or god of the victor. A special de- 
mand for slaves naturally aggravates the existing anarchy, 
as every prisoner becomes of additional value ; thus man- 
hunting, although a natural institution of Africa, has been 
extended by the necessities of European colonists. As the 
greater portion of the West Coast of Africa was the regu- 
lar slave-market for the supply of the French, English, Por- 
tuguese, and Spanish American possessions, man-hunting be- 
came the all - engrossing profession of every petty negro 
chief ; razzias were carried into the very heart of the Afri- 
can continent for the sole purpose of kidnapping slaves, 
who where exchanged for the necessaries of the country, 
and handed from tribe to tribe until they reached the agents 
of the coast dealer, who kept them like cattle penned in cer- 
tain stations until the arrival of ships that were to carry 
them to their various destinations across the Atlantic. The 
distances from Avhich these unfortunate people were match- 
ed were almost incredible. They generally arrived in long 
strings, fastened by leathern thongs from neck to neck like 
a living chain ; and, being perfectly ignorant of geography, 
they had no idea of the countries through which they pass- 
ed ; but upon arrival few slaves could give any description 
of the route beyond the simple name of their native places 
obscured in the wilderness of Africa. The sufferings on 
the march were frightful. If poor women were footsore, 
or broke down under the weight of some burden they w r ere 
forced to carry, they were first cruelly beaten, and if too 
weak to proceed they were killed by the blow T of a club or 
the thrust of a spear : children who fell ill were thrown into 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


75 


the thick jungle, and left to die or to be devoured by the 
wild beasts. It was thus that Tim had been captured when 
about twelve years old ; and, being a well-grown and pow- 
erful boy, he had arrived with a large gang of slaves in suf- 
ficiently good condition to fetch a high price at Sierra Leone, 
from which port he was shipped with many others to Ja- 
maica. In the latter colony he was purchased by a rich 
sugar-planter, a kind-hearted, good man, who would neither 
have harmed an animal nor human being ; but unfortunate- 
ly it was poor little Tim’s lot to be handed to the care of a 
cruel overseer. 

For more than a year Tim had led a life of bitterness; 
not a day passed without some severe lashes of the whip, 
accompanied by the uncalled-for abuse of the nigger-driver. 
It was in vain that he did his utmost to please — he received 
nothing but threats and blows : he would sometimes steal 
away and hide among the thick sugar-canes, and think of 
his little village so far away in Africa, and cry till his 
heart nearly broke when he thought of his distant home 
that he should never see again, with his mother, and the 
flock of goats that he was minding in the forest on the day 
that he was stolen away. It was too much for Tim, and he 
longed to die. Once he had complained to his master, who 
had accordingly reprimanded the overseer ; but from that 
time his lot was even worse than before, as the natural cru- 
elty of his tyrant turned to actual hatred. At length Tim 
determined to run away ; he knew not where to go, but 
anywhere was better than his present position. He left 
the plantation one night, and ran and walked alternately 
until at sunrise, tired out and footsore, he reached Port 
Royal. A man-of-war’s boat was just pushing off from the 
shore, and Tim rushed into the water, and in a few broken 
words explained his distress and implored protection. The 
lieutenant who commanded, with sailor - like charity, took 


76 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


him on board, and Tim quickly found himself on a first-class 
frigate, which sailed that day for England. During the 
voyage Tim, who had learned to cook in the cruel over- 
seer’s service, made himself useful in the ship’s galley, and 
soon became not only a great favorite with his master, but 
with the rest of the crew. A few days after quitting Ja- 
maica the frigate fell in with a French ship, which she cap- 
tured after a severe engagement, during which Tim’s master 
(the lieutenant) distinguished himself greatly, and was bad- 
ly wounded. Tim nursed him with much devotion until 
their arrival in England, when the lieutenant was rewarded 
with an appointment to the command of a revenue cutter 
From that time Tim regarded his brave and kind-hearted 
master with intense affection, and, having learned a sailor’s 
work, he formed one of the cutter’s crew, of which he was 
now the only survivor, the gallant commander having been 
destroyed by the rock rolled down upon him by Mother Lee. 

After breakfast wms over he told this simple story of his 
career, which at once gained him Polly’s heart, while the 
bright eyes of Ned sparkled at his description of his adven- 
tures, more especially at the account of the action with the 
French ship, when the brave lieutenant was wounded. From 
that time Tim became a member of Paul Grey’s family ; he 
made himself generally useful, sometimes assisting Polly 
Grey in the cooking, but more frequently he attended Paul 
and Ned in fishing when the Polly went upon a cruise, or 
when the boats pushed out with the seine-net to capture a 
shoal of mackerel. 

Tim did not forget his old master. Although happy, he 
had fits of gloom when his thoughts wandered back to that 
fatal night when he clung to the drifting mast in the raging 
storm, and heard those last manly words of encouragement, 
“ Never say die ! hold fast, my lads !” before he lost sight 
of his brave captain forever. 


CHAPTER IV. 


TPHE holidays were over. Ned Grey had had a happy 
time during the past seven weeks that had been iuil 
of adventure. In addition to the ordinary pleasures of his 
home, and the occupation of fishing, he had made several 
voyages to the coast of France in the fast clipper Polly , 
and had escaped two or three French cruisers after an ex* 
citing chase ; his holidays had wound up with the wreck of 
the cutter and the rescue of “ Nigger Tim,” as he was now 
called, in Sandy Cove. 

Ned Grey excelled in all manly pursuits — there was no 
better swimmer in the Cove, neither was there a more active 
sailor or better fisherman ; at the same time he ranked as 
high at school in the more serious branches of education. 
No mother could have surpassed the fondness of Polly Grey 
for her adopted child, and she was now well repaid for her 
care, not only in the physical perfection of the boy, but in 
the filial affection that he returned. She had taught him 
herself until he was nine years old, by which time he could 
read and write fluently, although it must be confessed that 
his juvenile industry was less visible on his slate and copy- 
book than in his untiring energy and resources in setting 
lines for fish, making crab-nets and lobster-pots, and in 
catching the said crabs and lobsters with which the rocky 
coast abounded. In all these pursuits he had been an apt 
pupil of Paul Grey’s. But, as the watchful Parson Jones 
had often warned Polly, the time had arrived when he must 
be sent to school ; therefore she had to part with her much- 
loved boy, and resigned herself to the solitude of home. 


78 


CAbC UP BY THE SEA 


Thus Ned had first gone to school as a boarder in th« 
house of Parson Jones when he was nine years old. Polly 
had prepared his mind for his entrance among his fellows 
by the simple but stern principles of morality : that he 
should be too proud to tell an untruth, or to do a mean 
action ; that he should be rigidly honorable in all his deal- 
ings ; and that he should never bully, nor allow himself to 
be bullied. With this advice, which he never forgot, Ned 
parted from his parents, as he considered Paul and Polly 
Grey, and went to school. Although Parson Jones and his 
wife were the perfection of kindness, Ned felt the difference 
between home and school. He had never known the want 
of a mother until then ; and there were many hours when 
his thoughts returned to the little white cottage on the cliff, 
and he longed to feel her loving arm around his waist and 
her warm kiss upon his cheek. Then, as the scene of his 
dear home appeared, he would recall all the fond words of 
advice that had fallen from his mother’s lips, and these he 
resolved should always be his guide. 

Four years had passed, and Parson Jones declared that 
Ned was the best boy in his school. He was exceedingly 
gentle in his manners, clever for his age (he was just turn- 
ed thirteen) ; at the same time he was the best cricketer 
and the fastest runner, although there were boys several 
years his seniors. With such qualifications it was natural 
that he should be a general favorite ; but there was one ex- 
ception to the rule, which had for several years been a source 
of much annoyance to Ned Grey. The largest landed pro- 
prietor in the neighborhood was a certain Squire Stevens, 
whose eldest son was a boarder in Parson Jones’s school. 
This lad was slightly older than Ned, to whom he had, with- 
out any valid reason, taken a peculiar aversion. It was in 
vain that Ned had at first endeavored to win his friendship : 
there was a jealousy in the unmanly heart of Jem Steveni 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


79 


that nothing could remove. The fact that Ned excelled 
him in the various games of football, cricket, and others that 
tested the activity of boys, was sufficient to make him an 
enemy. Added to this meanness of disposition, he was a 
notorious liar ; and had not Parson Jones hesitated to of- 
fend his father, who was the great man of the parish, he 
would on more than one occasion have expelled him from 
the school. 

The holidays being over, Ned Grey once more left home 
and returned to school. It was only five miles from the 
Cove ; therefore, as the Polly was going out fishing, Paul 
managed to put him and his trunk on board, as he could 
land him within half a mile of Parson Jones’s house. 

“ Good-by, Ned,” shouted many voices, as having taken 
leave of his mother he descended to the beach. The chil- 
dren ran out of several huts to shout “ Good-by ” like- 
wise, and to shake hands with Ned, who with Tim’s assist 
ance carried his heavy trunk along the beach and placed it 
in the boat. They soon got on board the Polly , taking the 
pinnance in tow ; and with a light but fair breeze they sail- 
ed out of the Cove, and waved a parting farewell to Polly 
Grey, who stood upon the terrace on the cliff watching their 
departure. 

In less than an hour they landed, and, assisted by a pow- 
erful sailor, who carried his trunk, Ned followed the well- 
known path up the cliffs, and shortly arrived at the village. 
It was a lovely spot. Sheltered in a deep dell, the gray 
spire of the old church rose above the rich green foliage of 
the woods ; a clear rippling stream flowed through the bot- 
tom of the glen, where Ned had often caught a basketful of 
small trout upon a holiday afternoon ; at times the brook 
was hidden between cliffs of reddish and gray limestone, 
upon which grew a rich fringe of underwood, broken at in- 
tervals by a noble oak ; in other places the water was as 


80 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


smooth as glass, in deep black pools in some sudden bend 
of the stream where the torrent had holloweyd out a rest- 
ing-place. Crossing a rude bridge, formed of a tree felled 
across the brook, Ned passed the meadow that bordered the 
high-road and arrived at the church, close to which stood the 
rectory — Dr. Jones’s school. It was a large gable -ended 
house, with lattice windows, and was completely covered with 
ivy except in several places where the exuberant growth had 
been checked for the cultivation of the myrtle and magno- 
lia which were carefully trained upon the walls. The gar- 
den was beautifully kept ; a small but rapid stream flowed 
through a large lawn ornamented with flower-beds tasteful- 
ly arranged, while the natural undulations of the ground 
were in some places levelled into terraces of fine turf that 
descended to the rippling brook. Several ancient mulber- 
ry-trees afforded a delicious shade, beneath which rustic 
seats were arranged; it was on one of these that Ned had 
been accustomed to sit in the heat of the day and read, 
when Dr. Jones permitted the boys to enjoy themselves in 
his private grounds. The sailor had carried his trunk to 
the back entrance, and Ned, having opened the garden-gate, 
advanced quickly along the approach to the front door. 
As the gate clanged when Ned had closed it the sound at- 
tracted the attention of a light and youthful figure that was 
seated in Ned’s favorite spot upon the lawn, beneath the 
spreading branches of a venerable mulberry. She had been 
reading, but upon seeing Ned approach she quickly closed 
her book, and springing up — 

“Ah ! Ned,” she exclaimed ; “how you startled me ! I 
was just reading about Edward the Black Prince, and I was 
wondering whether he was called ‘Ned’ when he was a 
boy, and then the gate slammed, and I jumped and saw 
you l” 

“ I am sorry that I startled you, Edith,” said Ned. “I 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


81 


didn’t know that you were here until this moment when I 
first saw you rise ; pray forgive me.” 

“ Oh yes !” replied Edith, laughing ; “ it was no great sin, 
but I’m so glad you have come home again ! Papa and mam- 
ma will be so very glad also, for you know you are their 
great favorite. Come in : I think papa is in his study.” 

There was a blush of pleasure on Edith’s lovely face as 
she thus welcomed her old play-fellow, and led him toward 
the house. Edith Jones was born a month after that fatal 
night, now thirteen years ago, when Ned was rescued from 
the sea. She was, therefore, nearly the same age, and as 
both her father and mother had taken the warmest interest 
in Ned, and had frequently told her of the extraordinary 
manner in which he, a helpless infant, was saved, she had re- 
garded him with a tender sympathy ever since he had first 
entered the school, when they were both children of nine 
years old. Both Dr. and Mrs. Jones had treated Ned more 
like one of their own family than an ordinary school-boy ; 
therefore it was natural that Edith, as an only child, should 
have regarded Ned almost in the light of a brother ; in fact, 
as they now walked together hand in hand across the lawn, 
they matched as though sprung from the same parents. 
Edith was tall for her age, and beautifully formed, while 
her long, waving blonde hair, that fell in a dense mass be- 
low her shoulders, agreed exactly in color with the rich 
locks of the handsome boy by her side. She had the same 
large blue eyes, fine complexion, and delicate features ; and, 
better than all, the same warm heart and generous disposi- 
tion. 

In a few minutes they entered the house, and upon Edith’s 
knock at the study door being quickly answered, they en- 
tered. 

“ Here’s Ned come back, papa,” said Edith ; “ he’s look* 
ing as brown as a gipsy, and so grown, isn’t he ?” 


82 


CAST UP BY THE SEa. 


“ Ila, ha, Ned, my boy !” exclaimed the delighted school- 
master, “ I’m very glad you’ve come to us again, we have 
been quite dull without you ; even the canary won’t sing as 
usual when you’re away. How are your father and mother ? 
All well, I hope ?” 

Ned having replied, now gave them an account of the 
wreck of the cutter and the rescue of the nigger-boy, Tim. 
Edith’s eyes brightened during the description. 

“Where is he?” she presently exclaimed. “Oh Ned, 
how I should like to see a black boy ! And does he love 
you for having saved him?” 

“ Oh yes,” replied Ned. “ I’ve heard that niggers don’t 
feel, but I’m sure that’s not true, for Tim’s as fond of me as 
possible, although we’ve only had him a few weeks, and he 
loves father and mother like a dog.” 

“ Like a dog /” exclaimed Edith ; “ but is he not like 
us ? Is he not better than a dog in his affection ?” asked 
the hesitating girl. 

At this moment there was a rush against the half- closed 
door; in another instant it burst open, and a large black 
Newfoundland dog, bounding into the room, at once recog- 
nized Ned, and, springing toward him, it almost knocked 
him down as it placed its fore-paws on his shoulders and at- 
tempted to lick his face. 

“ Ah, Nero ! Down ! down !” cried Edith. 

“ Poor fellow !” said Ned, as he returned the dog’s ca- 
/ess, and patted his silky sides and neck ; “ don’t drive 
him away. Nero, my boy, how did you know that I was 
here again ?” said Ned, as he affectionately hugged the faith- 
ful dog. “ I wish all people were as good as dogs,” said 
Ned. “ I believe Tim is ; and both Tim and Nero are niggers, 
for they’re both the same color, only Nero’s not so woolly.” 

“Well,” said Edith, half convinced, “Nero loves me 
dearly too, don’t you, Nero? Nobody loves me so well as 


VAST UP BY TEE SEA. 


83 


you, Nero, do they, old boy ?” This she said as she caught 
the dog by both his ears, and looked lovingly in his face. 

Somehow Ned blushed deeply as he was about to make 
some remark, which was interrupted by the entrance of 
Edith’s mother. 

Mrs. J ones was a good-looking woman of about thirty- 
eight. There was a great excitement in her manner as she 
merely shook hands warmly with Ned, and then addressed 
her husband. 

“ My dear, you’re wanted immediately ; there’s a terrible 
affair. Really that boy Stevens must be expelled; he has 
nearly or quite killed little Norris. They had a quarrel, 
and he has stabbed him with a knife !” 

In an instant Dr. Jones left the room accompanied by all 
present, and upon arriving at the school-room they found 
a crowd of boys around the wounded boy, who had fainted 
from loss of blood, and was lying on the floor, while a tutor 
supported his head. The doctor, who lived close by, had 
already been sent for, but before he arrived young Norris 
had revived, as the usual remedies of cold water and smell- 
ing-salts had produced an effect. In the mean time the cul- 
prit, Jem Stevens, who had been disarmed by the other boys, 
stood sulkily in a corner with his arms pinioned behind him. 
He was an ill-looking fellow, very pale and freckled, with a 
quantity of tightly-curling, sandy hair ; his features were 
coarse, and the expression of his large mouth, with exceed- 
ingly thm lips, was peculiarly forbidding ; he was tall, but 
clumsily made, and his general appearance was far from 
piepossessing. The doctor quickly arrived, and happily 
pronounced the wound to be trifling, although the hemor- 
rhage had been alarming. The blade of the knife had en- 
tered the shoulder, and had fortunately been stopped by the 
Done. 

u N ow, then,” said the doctor, as he strapped the wound 
C 


CAST Ur BY THE SEA . 


8i 

tightly together with plaster, “ as Horace says, ‘Jain satis 
terris nivis ’ — ‘Now we’ve had enough of knives ,’ and as 
Virgil says,” he added, looking sternly at Jem Stevens, 
“ Arma virumque cano !’ — ‘ Cane him on the arms and the 
rump !’ ” 

It was seldom that Dr. Jones had recourse to corporal 
punishment, therefore whenever such a course wsls absolute- 
iy necessary it had ten times the ordinary effect as an exam- 
ple. But on this occasion he considered it to be his duty ; 
accordingly he now appeared with the cane, and he called 
upon Stevens to stand in the middle of the room. 

“ I didn’t do it, sir,’ faltered the cowardly fellow. “ I was 
cutting a stick when Norris tried to snatch it from me, and 
he fell against the knife.” 

This was quickly proved to be a complete falsehood, and 
the cane was about to descend with extra warmth for the 
lie when the wounded boy Norris interceded in his behalf, 
and endeavored to save him from punishment. He was 
quickly joined in his petition by Edith, and for the mo- 
ment the school-master’s arm was arrested. 

“James Stevens,” he said, “I regret to say you are a 
disgrace to your family and to this school. I have pardon- 
ed many of your faults, and I have corrected others, trust- 
ing that you would improve ; but after nearly five years’ 
trial you have ended in an act of cowardice, cruelty, and in 
falsehood. I have little hope of you, but I give you your 
own choice. Will you receive a severe chastisement,, and 
then ask pardon of the boy you have injured, and endeavor 
to improve during this half year, or will you rather be ex* 
pelled the school at once ?” 

“ I hate the school,” said the sullen coward, “ and I’d 
father leave !” 

A yell of contempt burst from the crowd of boys, while 
the good Dr. Jones grew pale with emotion at the thought 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


85 


of this lamentable result after all the care he had bestowed 
on the wretched boy. 

“ Untie his arms,” said he. “ Go, Stevens, to your room, 
and at once pack up your things while I write to your fa- 
ther.” 

The culprit left the room amid the general hissing of 
his comrades, in which Ned Grey and little Norris were the 
only two who did not join. In the mean time Edith had 
also disappeared, while Dr. Jones sorrowfully retired to his 
study to write the final letter to Squire Stevens of Heron 
Hall. 

Jem Stevens quickly packed up his clothes, and dogged- 
ly determined that, when the fly should come to the door, 
he would depart without taking leave of any one. Accord- 
ingly, having prepared his things, he descended to the gar- 
den, and entered the shrubbery as he imagined unseen ; in 
this he was mistaken, for he had been watched by two per- 
sons, who, although unconscious of each other’s presence, 
were actuated by the same feelings. Edith quickly follow- 
ed him. She hoped to soften his hard heart, and to per- 
suade him to ask her father’s pardon and to be friends with 
little Norris. 

Ned Grey had no idea that Edith had such an intention, 
and although if he had an enemy in the world Jem Stevens 
was the person, he was generously determined, if possible, 
to persuade him to act like a boy of honor, and to apologize 
and receive the punishment in a manly manner. As Ned 
followed in the direction where Stevens had disappeared, 
he started at seeing the figure of Edith for one moment as 
she vanished among the trees. She was evidently search- 
ing for Jem Stevens. 

Now it would be difficult to explain why, but the fact 
remained that Ned did not like to hear Edith intercede 
with her father so warmly for Stevens when he was about 


86 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


to be flogged ; and now that he had caught sight for an in* 
stant of her pretty figure hurrying in the direction that 
Stevens had taken, a bitter feeling seized upon his heart, 
which beat double time at that same moment. 

“ Why should Edith take so much interest in Stevens ? 
that blackguard, Jem Stevens ?” as he could not help mut- 
tering aloud, as he now angrily followed through the thick 
shrubbery. He heard voices close to him, on the other side 
of a clump of trees : before he could appear in view he 
heard Jem Stevens rudely reply to Edith: 

“ I wish the knife had been through Ned Grey’s ribs !” 

In an instant he rushed through the bushes, and appear- 
ed on the small lawn upon which Edith and Stevens were 
standing. 

“Through Ned’s ribs, you cowardly brute!” cried Ned, 
as in the same instant he threw off his jacket and waist- 
coat. “ You may try those tricks on poor little Norris, 
but not on me, you coward. Now come on; and Edith, 
you stand on one side,” said Ned, in a voice so stern and so 
different to the soft tone to which she was accustomed, that 
the tears started to her eyes. 

“ Off with your coat !” shouted Ned to Jem Stevens, 
who did not appear very impatient for the fray ; however, 
in another minute the two boys stood in sparring attitude, 
opposed to each other. Stevens was the heavier of the 
two, and equally tall, but there was a superior activity in 
Ned that made up for his inferiority in weight ; both were 
fair boxers, and the fight began with a considerable amount 
of skill. Although Ned was angrily earnest he did not 
lose his temper, and he walked round his antagonist, coolly 
waiting for his opportunity. With his left hand well for- 
ward and his right ready, and keeping steady time with 
each step, as Stevens with great caution kept on the defen- 
sive, Ned suddenly made a feint with his left which Stevens 


CAST Ur BY THE SEA. 


attempted to stop, at the same moment he received a heavy 
blow with Ned’s right in the chest that sent him reeling 
backward. Without a moment’s loss of opportunity Ned 
followed him up with a heavy left-hander straight between 
the eyes, that fairly knocked him down. Stevens’s cold 
blood was now heated, and springing from the ground he 
rushed forward utterly regardless of 'science, and with his 
head down, protected by his bended arm, he closed with a 
swingeing right-handed hit that unfortunately caught Ned 
upon the ear, and sent him reeling, and for the instant half 
stunned, upon one side. Stepping back with consummate 
coolness and dexterity, with both hands well forward on 
guard, Ned waited, and defended himself until he lost the 
buzzing sound in his ears, and recovered from the serious 
blow. 

“ Stop !” cried Edith. “ Ned ! Stevens ! dear Ned !” she 
cried, “ do stop — that’s enough — for my sake, Ned !” 

At this appeal Ned looked on one side fondly at the 
peace-maker ; but, taken off his guard for that instant, he 
received a crushing hit from his opponent straight in the 
face. 

“ Don’t talk now, Edith,” he replied, “ till I’ve polished 
this fellow off !” and, rendered doubly steady and deter- 
mined by the blow that stung him, he lashed out left and 
right, after stopping a wild attempt from Stevens ; both 
blows told, and Stevens staggered several paces backward, 
but, profiting by his first success, he again guarded his 
bowed head with his bended arm, and rushed in with great 
fury, once more delivering a swingeing right-hander. Ned 
sprang quickly on the right, and met him with an upward 
cut with the left exactly on the nose : at the same instant 
ne turned, and floored him with a right-handed blow on the 
ear. Jem Stevens lay upon the ground thoroughly beaten. 

a Get up !” cried Ned, “ don’t cry craven yet !” but Ste* 


38 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


vens only replied by sitting upon the grass, and allowii> \ 
the drops to fall from his bruised nose. 

u Do you give in ?” said Ned ; “ if not, get up and finish 
it like a man.” 

“ Ned, that’s enough : he’s beaten !'* cried Edith ; but at 
those words from her even Jem Stevens’s soul was aroused, 
and starting suddenly up he rushed desperately at Ned with 
his head down. Ned this time stepped quickly on the left, 
meeting him with a sham right-handed blow, at the same 
time that he caught him round the neck with his left arm, 
and secured his head in the unpleasant position that is known 
by the name of “ chancery,” owing to the fact that the prop- 
erty must be seriously damaged before it can escape from 
the Court. A sharp dig with Ned’s right in the face oi 
Stevens was quickly followed by a cry, “1 give in !” Ned 
released him. The fight was over. At this time the sound 
of Avheels was heard as the fly arrived that was to take Jem 
Stevens from the school. 

Both boys were disfigured by the fight. Ned had no 
marks that could not be immediately removed by soap and 
water; but Stevens had a pair of swollen eyes that would 
be perfectly black in a few hours. 

“ I’m sorry for it, Stevens,” said Ned, as he advanced and 
off ered him his hand. “ We’ve had a fight once before, and 
I had hoped that we had made it up ; but don’t let us part as 
enemies now that you must leave school.” 

“ That’s right, Ned, ” said Edith, who had picked up h?s 
jacket and waistcoat from the ground ; “ shake hands to- 
gether and make up, and go and wash your faces. Now, 
Stevens, it is not too late ; be friends, and go and ask par- 
don of papa ; I’m sure it may be all mended even now. ’ 

For an instant Jem Stevens regarded the lovely Edith 
sis though he hesitated in his decision, but his evil disposi 
tion overcame the first good impulse. He replied, sullenly, 



THE FIGHT- 























































































































































































































































































































. 














































































































* 




























































































, 








* 












































CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


91 


'No, Edith! I love you, but I hate the school; and I 
hate you, Ned Grey, forever !” he added, as he looked spite- 
fully at the fine, generous countenance of his conqueror. 
If Ned had been beaten in the fight he would not have felt 
so hurt as he now did when his friendly hand was thus con- 
temptuously spurned. 

“ Come away, Edith,” he said. “ Dr. Jones will be verv 
angry, but i'li take the blame ; if Stevens won’t be friends 
I am sorry for it, but it’s not my fault.” Ned then put on 
his jacket and waistcoat that Edith gave him, and went 
away. Edith lingered for a moment in the hope of yet be- 
ing able to soften Stevens ; but he only pressed her hand, 
and said, “ Good-by, Edith ; ^ hate every one but you, and 
sometimes I even hate you because you love Ned Grey bet- 
ter than me.” Confused by such a confession, Edith could 
oniy reply by a cold “ Good-by, Stevens ; I hope you will 
live to grow more generous ;” and she turned sorrowfully 
homeward. Half an hour afterward the noise of carriage- 
wheels was again heard as the fly took Jem Stevens and hia 
trunk away from the school. 


CHAPTER V . 


npWELVE months had passed away since Jem Stevens 
was expelled the school, and from that time nothing had 
disturbed the quiet happiness of Parson Jones’s flock. As 
to Jem Stevens’s career, his father, the old squire, had 
found him incorrigible ; he had therefore sent him to sea 
very shortly after his disgraceful return from school. He 
was now a midshipman on board one of his Majesty’s frig- 
ates. Ned Grey was upward of fourteen, and Dr. Jones 
had already advised that he should be placed in a mer- 
chant’s office in some great sea-port, in which capacity he 
would have a good chance of improving his position. To 
this proposal Polly had agreed, as she wished that he might 
be brought up to some profession that might eventually 
lead to competence. On the other hand, Paul, who had 
successfully evaded the revenue authorities, claimed the 
active and adventurous boy as his own son, and would not 
yield him to what he called “ an old woman’s trade.” For 
Ned the position was extremely perplexing. He could not 
please all parties. To his mother he owed every thing ; to 
Dr. Jones much; to his father, as he considered Paul, hard- 
ly as much as others, although he had been always kind. 
And then there was another. Edith had been almost a 
sister. What did she wish him to do? They had often 
walked together in the lovely green lanes, and strolled 
among the romantic glens and cliffs to gather wild flowers, 
at which times they would sometimes sit beneath some 
shady rock overlooking the blue sea, while Edith arranged 
the flowers in tasteful nosegays. It was then that Ned 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


93 


would gaze at the boundless horizon, and his boyish impulse 
yearned to wander far beyond, when suddenly a change 
would come over his features as he looked at the lovely 
Edith, and thought how hard it would be to separate from 
her. On the other hand, it would have been difficult to de» 
fine Edith’s feelings ; she was so perfectly innocent an$ yet 
loving, that she had always looked upon Ned as one that was 
inseparably connected with her parents and herself. The 
idea of his ever belonging to any one else had never been 
suggested to her imagination. They had grown up to- 
gether for years without the slightest restriction placed 
upon their intimacy ; and, now that they were approaching 
the age of fifteen, for the first time the warning had been 
given her that Ned would have to part. 

It was a calm Sunday evening in August. The sun was 
low and constantly shaded by fleecy clouds that travelled 
slowly across the disc. There was hardly any perceptible 
breeze. The cattle stood or lay lazily in the meadows, and 
all Nature appeared to enjoy the calm rest of the Sabbath. 
The afternoon service had been concluded for about an hour, 
and the usual throng of idlers that were wont to congregate 
and chat at the church-door had retired to their respective 
homes, and the church-yard appeared forsaken. It was not 
entirely deserted. There were two figures sitting on the 
greensward, within a few feet of a stone in the form of a 
cross. Upon this cross was written, “ A lady unknown, aged 
about twenty-two. Cast up by the sea at Sandy Cove.” 

“ How sad this always seems to me !” said Ned. “ Poor 
lady, only twenty-two ! I wonder who she was ? Even 
her name was unknown ; perhaps she had a husband who 
may even now be alive, and be grieving for his lost wife 
without knowing what became of her; perhaps,” added 
Ned, thoughtfully, “she had a child, who lost its mother, 
and will never know where she lies l” 


94 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


“ I have always heard,” said Edith, “ that this poor lady 
was a beautiful person, who was wrecked and drowned. 
Papa recollects having seen her, and he has told me how 
lovely she looked when she was brought to shore, and he 
saw her lying dead, as pale as marble, and almost covered 
with her long, fair hair. You were wrecked too, Ned, 
when you were a little baby,” continued Edith ; “ at least, 
I have heard so.” 

“I don’t think it is true,” said Ned. “Some people 
have told me so, but my mother must know best; and 
when I have asked her she has only pressed me in her 
arms, and asked me if I wish for any other mother ; there 
can not be a dearer one than she.” 

Edith and Ned had been working a wreath of flowers 
upon a circle of ivy ; the evening was darkening. “ Give 
me that wreath, Edith,” said Ned, “if you don’t want it. 
I should like to hang it upon that cross, it seems so deso- 
late. That cold inscription, ‘ Unknown, cast up by the sea, 
chills me to the heart. To think that she should lie here, 
so utterly forsaken l” 

“ Let us clean that moss from the stone before we ar- 
range the wreath,” said Edith. “ I wish we had some ever- 
lastings, as those flowers will so quickly fade.” 

In a few minutes the wreath hung upon the cross. 

“ Shall we always attend to this ?” asked Edith. 

“I shall be gone,” sighed Ned, “but you will remain at 
home. Perhaps, Edith, you will forget it ; and — you may 
forget me also — I may not see you for years ; and,” contin- 
ued Ned, hesitating, “ you may some day marry before I 
shall return ; and we may never meet again.” 

“Marry! marry! did you say, Ned? how could I marry 
A you go away? who should I marry if you forsake me, 
Ned? I would rather die, and lie somewhere here next to 
this lonely grave ; and then if ever you should come back 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


95 


“gain, you might perhaps come here, and think how we 
once sat here together, and you might make a wreath for- 
me like that we have now hung upon this cross.” 

“ I’ll never marry any one but you, Edith, if you will have 
me,” answered Ned ; “ but first I must work to earn a live- 
lihood, for I could not see you in want ; and I have noth- 
ing ; but no one loves you as I do, Edith.” 

As Ned spoke he gazed intently in Edith’s large blue 
eyes, and then suddenly clasped her in his arms, and kissed 
her unresisting lips. 

“ Hallo, that’s nice goings on !” said a peculiar hoarse 
voice ; “ ha, ha ! ha, ha ! Nice goings on ! But I was once 
young myself, although you mayn’t believe it. But, Ned 
Grey, yer’ll have bitter times, and may be yer’ll never see 
the day so long as Mother Lee’s alive.” 

“ Out, you old witch!” cried Ned; “be off with your 
croaking tongue, you wicked old hag, whom I could hang . 
Jor what I saw when you stoned the drowning men !” 

“ Don’t quarrel with Mother Lee,” said Edith, “ she’s a 
witch, they say ; she’ll do some harm after this,” continued 
Edith ; “ I saw her spit upon the ground as she hobbled off, 
and she scowled at us like a demon.” 

Mother Lee had in fact hobbled off, and as she retreated, 
muttering curses, she clenched her skinny fingers, and shook 
her withered fist at the innocent pair, and then vanished 
among the tombstones. 

“What can she want here?” said Ned. “She’s up to 
some mischief, or she would not wander so far from Sandy 
Cove.” 

“ Come, Ned,” said Edith, “ I do not like to remain on 
this spot ; it’s getting dusk, and that horrible old woman 
frightens me ; she may now be hiding behind some grave- 
stone.” 

As Edith spoke two dark figures were seen to glide 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


96 

stealthily by on the other side of the church-yard ; they ap* 
neared to be men, but they were quickly concealed by an 
intervening hedge. 

“ Come home, Ned,” said Edith, “ it may be foolish, but 
I have a curious feeling of uneasiness that I never felt be- 
fore — a kind of dreadful foreboding of misfortune. God 
grant that it may be only my weakness, but that horrible 
old woman has chilled me through and through !” She 
seized Ned’s arm, and, trembling in every limb, she hasten- 
ed toward her home. 

“ I must run over to the Cove to-night,” said Ned. “ Dr. 
Jones gave me permission to spend a day at home, to talk 
over the future with my father and mother, and I promised 
to be there this evening ; but I will see you safe at home 
first, Edith.” 

“ Oh Ned, don’t go to-night,” exclaimed the nervous 
girl. “ I don’t know why, but I feel that something’s com- 
ing. I am certain — yes, positive — that something dreadful 
is hanging over us ; don’t go until to-morrow, Ned !” 

“This is foolish, Edith,” replied Ned. “ Why, how is 
this? You who are so brave, you are frightened at old 
Mother Lee? Shake off this silly feeling. Never give 
way to nervousness : it grows upon one if indulged in. Do 
you think I am so weak that I could not defend you from 
an old woman ?” 

Edith felt abashed, and, clutching Ned’s arm, with rapid 
steps she soon reached the rectory. Ned hastily said 
“ Good-by,” and taking a small bundle slung upon his stick 
he set off at a trot toward the Cove. It was just eaily 
night, but the moon was nearly full, and Ned could easily 
run the five or six miles within the hour. As he left the 
rectory Nero came bounding after him, and seeing him rui? 
the dog considered that he was in pursuit of some object 
and accordingly followed him, sometimes running on in ad 


VAST UP BY THE SEA. 


9T 

Vance. Presently Nero gave a short bark, and growling 
fiercely he returned to Ned with his hair bristled up, look- 
ing angry and yet frightened. 

“ What is it, old boy ?” said Ned ; “ go at it, Nero !” 

The dog did not fly forward, as was his custom at sucn 
a command, but he walked a few paces in advance, and sud- 
denly dashed back again to Ned, giving at the same time a 
sharp bark, followed by a deep growl, as a curious shadow 
like the figure of an old woman with a long stick glided 
along the clean surface of the ground in the clear moonlight 
Ned for the moment felt a chilly sensation creeping ovei 
him; but recovering quickly he rushed forward with the 
dog, but nothing was visible, and Nero, refusing to search, 
would only keep resolutely at his master’s heel. 

“ The dog’s bewitched,” exclaimed Ned. “ That shadow 
looked like old Mother Lee ; but perhaps it was only the 
shadow of a cloud crossing the moon.” 

With this assurance Ned trotted on, followed by the 
dog, and without any adventure he reached his parent’s cot- 
tage on the cliff at Sandy Cove. He was greeted with the 
accustomed warmth of welcome from Polly Grey and the 
nigger Tim. The latter was much grown, and was a fine 
strong lad. But Paul was not at home ; he had sailed about 
an hour before Ned’s arrival upon some sudden and unex- 
pected errand. Tim, who was slightly unwell, had been 
left behind. 

Before retiring to rest Ned had confided to his mother 
his boyish love for Edith, with all the youthful hopes and 
fears that attended his uncertain future. F rom many little 
expressions that she had frequently remarked Polly Grey 
had almost suspected that he was too fond of his old play- 
fellow, but, her experience having taught her that a boy’s 
heart was easily cured of love’s wound, she had attached 
but little importance to the fact ; however, she now received 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


his confession with maternal tenderness. At the same time 
with much judgment she cautioned him of the many diffi- 
culties that lay in his career, and yet gave him hope that 
Edith might some day become a prize when he should have 
earned her by such industry as would raise him to a po- 
sition worthy of her. 

Ned went to sleep that night without a fear. As he laid 
his head upon his pillow Edith’s image was in his mind, 
and in his dreams life seemed to hurry through each suc- 
cessive stage, until he again stood hand in hand with her, 
who then belonged to him. All was bright — a happiness 
that was indescribable pervaded his heavenly vision. Could 
such love only last, such beauty as was painted in his sleep, 
what other heaven could he wish? But the magic touch 
of sleep is most inconstant. Presently the bright image 
began to fade; a mist obscured the fairy-like form with 
which he had been wandering through infinite space. Jhe 
scene grew gloomy, then dark ; he was among cliffs and 
precipices ; there was a roar of angry waves deep beneath 
him, but he could not see ; he could only feel the warm soft 
hand that he guided on the dangerous path. Ha ! his foot 
slipped ! he lost the hand ! one desperate clutch, and again 
he held it fast, but it was cold and bony ; it felt as skinny 
as an eagle’s foot. The moon now rose blood-red, and 
he could see ; but he led not his Edith : it was the horrible 
hand of old Mother Lee that was in his grasp. “ Ha 1 
ha ! ha !” sang in his startled ears as he felt a sudden 
push ; he overbalanced from the precipice, and fell — down ! 
down ! down ! always falling, with the roar of water be- 
low, in the darkness and the blood-red moon ; at length a 
crash ! and he awoke. He was in bed in his mother’s cot- 
tage. It was about half past four in the morning; and, 
feverish with the bewildering dream that he could not at 
once shake off, he rose and dressed himself, and calling Tim, 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


99 


who was quickly ready, he sought the fresh air of the sea- 
beach. 

The tide was low, therefore upon reaching the bottom 
of the cliff they could walk some miles upon the rocky 
beach. Nero had accompanied the two boys, and, delight- 
ed with the opportunity, he dashed into the sea, and amused 
himself with bringing mouthfuls of long sea-weed to the 
shore. 

It was not long before the invigorating sea-breeze com- 
pletely chased away the effects of Ned’s miserable dream, 
and he had regained his usual spirits. They had strolled 
about two miles, when Ned suggested that it was time to 
return for breakfast, as they were far from home. Just at 
that moment they turned the corner of a projecting cliff, 
on the other side of which was a small sandy beach that 
formed one of the few landing-places along the rock-bound 
coast. Upon the sand, but half afloat, lay a large boat, in 
which were two or three men, while reclining on the beach 
was a party of twelve sailors ; these men were dressed in 
blue shirts and trowsers, and evidently belonged to a ship 
of war that was standing off the shore, about six miles dis- 
tant. The loud barking of Nero at once attracted the at- 
tention of the party. 

“ Good-morning, youngsters,” said a good-natured, stout- 
looking fellow, in a lieutenant’s uniform ; “ what’s brought 
you here?” 

Ned explained that they had merely strolled in that di- 
rection, without any particular object, and were now about 
to return to Sandy Cove. 

“ We’ll give yon a lift,” said the lieutenant, “ we may as 
well go to the Cove as stay here. Come along, my lads ; 
shove the boat off!” And before Ned had time to reply, 
he found himself surrounded by the party, who had taken 
his acceptance of their offer for granted. “ Jump in,” said 


100 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


the lieutenant, as they pushed the boat off the sand. “ Never 
mind the dog, he can find his way back.” But Nero had 
no idea of being left behind, he therefore sprang into the 
boat, and took his place by Ned, dripping with water. 

The lieutenant sat in the stern, but instead of steering 
for Sandy Cove he kept the boat’s head in a direct line for 
the ship of war in the offing ; while the steady stroke of 
eight oars rapidly increased their distance from the land. 

“ That’s the way to France, and not to Sandy Cove !” 
said Ned, who began to be suspicious. 

“ Never mind, young fellow ; you hold your tongue,” 
said a sailor ; “ we know our way better than you can tell 
us.” 

“ Y ou seem to be a bit of a sailor,” said the lieutenant. 

“I know how to handle a lugger,” replied Ned; “but 
I’ve never sailed on any other craft than my father’s.” 

“ Oh ! you are a real sailor, are you ? That’s right, 
then, we’ll soon make a man of you on board the frigate. 
You can see Sandy Cove at any time ; but it isn’t every 
day that you can see such a ship as the Sybille /” 

The truth now flashed upon poor Ned : he was entrapped 
by a press-gang, and kidnapped into the King’s service. 
The blood rushed to his face as the thought struck him, 
and the next instant he turned deadly pale as he thought of 
his mother and of Edith, who would not even guess his 
fate, and whom he might never see again. He turned to 
the lieutenant. “ For God’s sake do not deceive me,” said 
Ned, despairingly. “ It will be my utter ruin — my mother 
expects me even now, there, in that white cottage on the 
cliff,” continued the almost heart-broken boy, as he pointed 
eagerly to his little home, now plainly visible. A loud 
shout of laughter from the crew was the only reply to this 
appeal. 

“Jump, Massa Ned ! make a swim !” cried Tim, who 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


101 


had slyly slipped off his shoes, and at the same moment he 
dashed head first into the water ; but a powerful hand 
seized Ned firmly by the collar, and rendered it impossible 
for him to follow this advice. 

“ Back-water, all !” shouted the lieutenant : at the same 
time he seized a long boat-hook and caught Tim by his col- 
lar as he reappeared upon the surface. Poor Tim Avas 
hauled ignominiously into the boat like a black porpoise, 
amid a roar of laughter ; and to prevent any further at- 
tempts at escape his wrists were secured with a piece of 
rope. 

“ You’d better make up your mind to it,” said the lieu- 
tenant to Ned; “ there’s many a lad as good, and perhaps 
better, than you, who’s proud to serve the King ; now you 
have a good chance without your own seeking. You will 
be as happy as a prince when you’re once on board.” 

“ Shall I be able to write a letter home ?” asked Ned, 
whose tearful eyes were straining fixedly at the white cot- 
tage on the cliff that was rapidly diminishing to a mere 
speck. 

“ Well, perhaps you may, if any thing should detain us. 
You see we took some letters ashore this morning, and left 
them with the coast-guard ; but we are bound on foreign 
service, and only left Plymouth yesterday, so there’s not 
much chance for writing.” 

Poor Ned sat with his head resting upon his hand that 
shaded his aching eyes. Was it a dream ? — a part of that 
disturbed vision of the past night ? He could hardly be- 
lieve in the reality of the situation. What would Edith 
think of his mysterious disappearance? What would his 
mother and father think ? They would naturally suppose 
that the tide had overtaken them, and that both he and 
Tim had been drowned, as there was deep water at high 
tide, and no footway beneath the cliffs. If Edith thought 


102 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


him dead, and received no intelligence for years, she might 
marry some one else ! 

As these crushing thoughts passed through his brain 
Ned felt as though his head was being pressed within a 
vise, and for some minutes he closed his eyes, overpowered 
with the deepest distress. This prostration did not last 
long. Ned was a boy of the most undaunted courage, both 
moral and physical ; his most tender feelings had been tor- 
tured by an outrage that he could not resist, and he had 
yielded to the agony of the first shock ; but he now brush- 
ed his eyes roughly with his jacket-sleeve, and assumed a 
manner of perfect coolness and determination. 

“ Don’t think me a fool, sir,” he said to the lieutenant, 
who had been calmly watching him ; “ it’s all over now, 
and I’ll do my duty, whatever it may be. She’s a fine-look- 
ing ship. What guns does she mount, sir ?” 

“ Bravo ! that’s your sort,” said the lieutenant. “ You’ll 
do, my lad, there’s no fear; you’re none the worse for 
thinking of your mother : she’ll be all right ; we’ll manage 
to let her know somehow or other, and you’ll bring her 
home a lapful of prize-money some fine day. We’ll soon 
have a brush with a Frenchman when we clear the coast. 
What’s your name, my boy ?” 

“ Edward Grey, sir ; but I am always called Ned.” 

“ And who is the young nigger ?” continued the lieu- 
tenant. 

Ned replied, “ He is called Tim, sir. He was wrecked, 
and was the only one saved of the crew.” 

“ Yes, sar,” exclaimed Tim, who now broke into the 
conversation ; “ de poor nigger Tim nearly dead ; then 
Massa Ned come down de rock like a monkey, and pull de 
nigger out. Dat a long time ago, when my poor captin 
dead. Him swim like a fish. He cry, ‘ Hold on, my lads !’ 
Captin nebber ’fraid. Captin cry out, ‘Nebber say die. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


103 


my boys !’ den a big rock tummle on my poor captin’s ’ed. 
Break him like a pumpkin. Nebber see him more !” 

“ That’s a long story,” replied the lieutenant, “ and I’m 
not much the wiser for it — what’s it all about ?” 

Ned then explained the catastrophe, and for the first 
time Tim heard that old Mother Lee had thrown the stone 
that killed the unfortunate captain. The effect was ex- 
traordinary. “ Let me go ! let me go !” he shouted, as he 
strove to release his hands from the rope. “ I stick a knife 
in Moder Lee ! Oh cuss de old model’ debbel ! Why 
Tim not know before de ole debbel kill the poor captin ? 
Oh my poor captin! Nebber mind ! One day Tim stick 
a knife in ole debbel beast, Moder Lee !” 

The lieutenant and crew had already taken a more than 
usual interest in their prisoners, and Tim’s excitement had 
already made him a favorite with the sailors, especially as 
they witnessed his affection for his late captain. In about 
half an hour from this time they neared the frigate, w r hich 
presently bore down upon them, and backing her main-top- 
sail she waited for the boat. As they approached her Ned 
could not help admiring her beautiful lines and her taut 
spars, with the numerous guns on either side peeping wick- 
edly from her open ports. At this moment the shrill boat- 
swain’s whistle was heard as a rope was thrown from the 
vessel, while a man in the bows of the boat hooked on to 
the rope-ladder that hung over the gangway, and in less 
than a minute they stood upon the frigate’s deck. 

“ Take the lads for’ard,” said the lieutenant, as he went 
to the quarter-deck to report himself and the new arrivals 
to the captain. Ned now found himself upon the broad 
vhite decks of one of the crack ships in the King’s service. 
There was no more gallant captain among the many fine 
fellows that thronged the English navy than Cooke, of the 
Sybille / he was what the sailors called a tight hand, at 


104 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


the same time that he was the sailor’s best friend by en- 
forcing a rigid discipline. Ned was a sailor; therefore he 
had no sooner cast an admiring glance at the rows of pol- 
ished guns, that shone like bronze with a varnish of boiled 
oil, and the ropes all neatly disposed in Flemish coils upon 
the deck, than his eyes wandered instinctively aloft to the 
immense yards and the taut rigging of the beautiful ship. 
The sails had just bellied out with a fine breeze ; the boat 
that had brought them on board was already hanging on 
the davits ; and the foam was now rolling from her bows 
as the Sybitte held her course W. S. W., running at about 
ten knots an hour. Ned looked toward the land ; for a few 
minutes he could just distinguish a faint white spot appar- 
ently not very far above the sea ; he knew this was his 
home, in which his mother was even now awaiting him ; 
again he strained his eyes, it was gone ! A faint gray out- 
line like a bank of clouds was all that remained of the lofty 
cliffs of Cornwall, and in less than half an hour there was 
nothing to be seen but the boundless blue sea, through 
which the noble ship was flying like a bird. 

Although Ned was distressed at the sudden and unex- 
pected change in his situation, he was nevertheless excited 
\>y the scene that was entirely in sympathy with his tastes, 
ks he followed his conductor to the fore part of the vessel 
in company with his two black companions, Tim and Nero, 
he was full of admiration. The sailors were beautifully 
clean, and dressed exactly alike ; the red-coated marines 
were on guard in various parts of the ship ; the hammocks 
were neatly stowed along the nettings, as though they 
formed a portion of the bulwarks, while the grateful smell 
of cooking as they approached the forecastle betokened the 
hour of breakfast. 

Just as Ned was passing the fore-hatchway, a midship- 
man who had been mast-headed for some misconduct Was 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


105 


descending the shrouds, and he sprang upon the deck exact- 
ly facing him ; for an instant he started backward, and stared 
him in the face, as Ned in his turn gazed upon him with as- 
tonishment. 

“ Jem Stevens !” exclaimed Ned. 

“Why, what brought you here? and the dog? and the 
nigger ?” replied Stevens, recovering himself. 

“ Kidnapped by the boat’s crew an hour ago near Sandy 
Cove,” said Ned, who in a few words explained all that had 
taken place. 

“ Oh, that’s it, is it ?” replied Stevens ; “ then I suppose 
you know your position : you’re a common sailor, and I am 
an officer bearing the King’s commission. You and the 
nigger will do well by giving strict obedience, and you’ll be 
so good as to look sharp when I give you an order. D’ye 
hear,” continued Stevens, as Ned looked at him in amaze- 
ment without making a reply. 

Ned turned pale with suppressed emotion. Never had 
such angry feelings boiled within him as at this moment; 
at the same time he clearly perceived his position. It was 
too true : Stevens was an officer, while he was in an inferior 
position; therefore he must obey the bully whom he had 
thrashed heartily at their last parting. 

“ Here ! look after these fellows, and tie that dog up,” 
cried Stevens to the men, as he rudely turned his back upon 
Ned, at the same time that he bestowed a kick upon Nero’s 
ribs. 

But Nero was no judge of navy discipline, and he imme- 
diately replied to the kick by a short growl; at the same 
time flying at Stevens’s throat, he threw him on his back, 
and pinned him to the deck before Ned had sufficient time 
to interfere. 

“ Loose him, Nero ! loose him ! drop it !” shouted Ned, as 
he caught the furious dog by the neck, apd with both hands 


106 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


upon his throat he succeeded in choking him off. “ Down, 
Nero ! Ah, would you again ? down !” he cried, as the dog 
showed an evident intention of returning to the attack. 

“ Throw him over !” shouted several voices. 

“ No, don’t,” cried others. “ It warn’t the dog’s fault ; 
he kicked him first !” 

“ You shall throw me over with the dog,” said Ned, “ if 
you drown Nero. He is the best dog in the world, and 
would never bite if not ill-treated.” As Ned said this he 
hugged the dog round the neck for protection, while Nero 
growled, and seemed prepared to fight all comers. 

“ He set the dog at me,” cried Stevens ; who now began 
to recover from the sudden attack, while the blood trickled 
from several wounds in his neck. 

“ That’s a lie, if ever I heard a good ’un,” said a sailor in 
a loud whisper to a comrade. “ I saw and heard the whole 
of it, and it warn’t the dog’s fault, no, not at all ; the dog’s 
a good ’un, I know, and so’s the lad.” 

At this time Lieutenant Manger, who had commanded 
the boat that had captured Ned, appeared upon the scene. 

“ What’s all this about ?” asked he, as he looked at the 
discomfited Stevens, who was generally disliked on board 
the frigate. 

“May I be allowed to explain, sir?” asked Ned, as hG 
stepped boldly but respectfully forward. “ I have just rec- 
ognized an old school-fellow in Stevens, who when we last 
parted, a twelvemonth ago, expressed a wish to run his 
knife through my ribs. As that was rather un-English, I 
made him take his coat off, and after a few rounds he gave 
in like a coward ; he now insults me, as he says he is an of- 
ficer while I am a common sailor, and to prove his impor- 
tance he kicked my good dog in the ribs. If I had not 
saved him, the dog would have torn his throat out in a 
couple of minutes ; he rewards me by declaring that I set 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


107 


the dog on. I can only say it is a willful falsehood, equalled 
by many for which he was celebrated when at school.” 

“ Well, it’s not the first he has told here,” replied the 
lieutenant ; “ but don’t let us have any rows on board. Go 
and get your breakfast, Ned. And,” said he, turning to a 
sailor, “ see that the dog is taken care of.” 

In a week from that time there were three special favor- 
ites among the officers and crew of the Sybille : Ned, Tim, 
and Nero. 


CHAPTER VI. 


W E must leave the Sybille , with a fair wind, steering 
for the Cape of Good Hope, on her way to the In- 
dia station, while we return to Ned’s home at Sandy Cove. 

On the morning that he had been carried off by the frig- 
ate’s boat Polly Grey was sitting upon the terrace-wall over- 
looking the sea, awaiting his return to breakfast. The 
breeze was off the shore, therefore the sea was calm, and 
from the high cliff upon which the cottage stood Polly Grey 
enjoyed the grand sea view, and watched the snow-white 
sails of a large ship in the distance, which her experienced 
eyes discovered to be a man-of-war. Presently, on the 
smooth surface of the deep-blue sea, she perceived a boat 
pulling from the shore about two miles distant. It was so 
unusual for a boat to pull directly out to sea from that par- 
ticular direction that she could not help observing it with 
curiosity. It never altered its course, and at length it be- 
came a mere speck in the distance as it steered toward the 
King’s ship. Little did Polly know that Ned’s eyes were 
at that moment straining toward the white cottage on the 
cliff from that boat she was so curiously watching. At last 
she lost sight of the boat ; she saw the frigate in full sail 
until, hull down in the far distance, the white canvas merely 
resembled a sea-gull’s wings ; it then grew faint, and disap- 
peared below the horizon. 

“ How late Ned is for breakfast !” said Polly to herself ; 
“what can have become of the boy? The tide is coming 
in, and should he be too slow his retreat will be cut off, as 
the high-water rises to the cliff !” 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


109 


As this thought struck her she looked anxiously at the sea 
below. Already the tide had reached the base of the cliff, 
which rose from the water perpendicularly like a wall. She 
felt convinced in her suspicion ; and, on the impulse of a 
moment, she rushed into the cottage, and, seizing a coil of 
rope, she hurried down the zigzag path to the Cove, where 
she collected several men to assist her in her search. Wom- 
en and children joined the party, as Ned and Nigger Tim 
were general favorites, and the danger of the rising tide 
was well known to the fishermen of Sandy Cove. 

They arrived, breathless, on the summit of the high cliff, 
and presently looked down upon the natural terrace upon 
which Paul’s cottage was built ; then continuing along the 
edge, they skirted the precipice with great rapidity, con- 
stantly looking below in the hope of discovering Ned and 
his companions. 

The tide had already risen above the beach ; but as the 
$ea was calm there was no immediate danger, as the water 
ivas still shallow at the base of the cliff ; but Polly hurried 
forward with increasing anxiety, until she at length became 
go excited that she wildly shouted his name as she looked 
over the precipice in despair. 

“ Ned ! Where are you, Ned ?” 

There was no answer. Sometimes a sea-gull screamed, 
and for a moment gave her hope, as she imagined it to be 
a voice ; but the time passed, and the tide rose still higher ; 
and as one of the men rolled a large rock over the cliff it 
fell into the water with a hollow sound that proclaimed its 
depth. Still they might have climbed to some rock, and be 
clinging to the side of the cliff. At this thought Polly re- 
doubled her shouts, and urged her companions forward in 
the hopeless search. They had already passed the spot 
where the frigate’s boat had landed ; but the waves had 
risen high above the sandy beach* and now broke against 


110 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


the sides of the cliff. Polly Grey was frantic with despair ; 
nothing would induce her to give up the search. Hours 
passed away ; and, thoroughly worn out with fatigue and 
anxiety, she sat down and sobbed bitterly as she gazed 
hopelessly at the sea. Many of the women and children 
did the same. 

“ Who knows ?” suddenly exclaimed one of the men who 
had been the most active of the party, “ perhaps Ned may 
have gone back to school. Cheer up, Mrs. Grey ; don’t be- 
gin to cry for him yet. Ned’s not the lad to get drowned ; 
depend upon it, he’s forgotten something, and run back to 
the school ; he thinks nothing of five or six miles, and may 
be we’ll find him looking for us by the time we get back to 
the Cove.” 

This idea, which was generally accepted by the sorrow- 
ing party, now gave them courage, and it was decided that 
they should at once return, while two men should be dis- 
patched to the school ; accordingly, with vigor renewed 
by hope, Polly Grey retraced her steps. 

Upon arrival at Sandy Cove they found the little village 
in great commotion ; those villagers who had not accom- 
panied them were standing together in a crowd, discussing 
some topic with great animation; and upon seeing Polly 
Grey they immediately shouted : 

“ Run up to your cottage, Mrs. Grey ! You’ve got some 
unwelcome visitors there, and we’ll just chuck ’em over the 
cliff if you’ll say the word !” 

a Is Ned come back ?” cried Polly, who was bewildered 
with her anxiety. 

“ No, no, there’s no such luck ; they’re looking after him 
and Paul,” replied a woman in the crowd. 

Half crazy with this wild intelligence, Polly hastened up 
the steep path and arrived nearly dead with fatigue at her 
cottage. Several persons were sitting on the terrace-wall ; 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


Ill 


the cottage-door was wide open, and when she entered she 
found old Mother Lee and half a dozen constables in pos- 
session of her home. 

“What insult is this?” exclaimed Polly. “Where is 
Ned ? Who are you that dare to enter Paul Grey’s house 
in his absence? You, Mother Lee, leave the house imme- 
diately ! How often have you been warned never to set 
foot upon the terrace ?” 

As Polly in a state of intense excitement uttered these 
words, old Mother Lee merely grinned at her with a ghastly 
smile of contempt as she quietly took her seat upon a wood- 
en chair without replying a syllable. The head constable of 
the party now came forward, and, delivering a printed paper 
to Polly, he explained that it was a search-warrant, upon 
which his party must examine the premises of Paul Grey. 

“ I am nearly distracted,” said Polly, as she gazed ab- 
stractedly upon the warrant. “ I understand nothing ; 
where is my boy Ned ? Oh tell me, I beseech you, where 
he is ! What does all this mean ? — what does all this 
mean? Tell me the worst at once, I can bear any thing but 
the misery of this suspense. Say what has happened !” 

Polly was a beautiful woman ; although no longer in her 
youth, she was hardly thirty-five, and as she now appealed* 
to the constable her face was flushed with excitement, and 
her large blue eyes shone with a brilliancy and tenderness 
that softened the hearts of all present except the wretched 
hag, Mother Lee. 

“ Sit down, Mrs. Grey, I beseech you, and be calm,” re- 
plied the constable, “ and I will relate all I know in as few 
words as possible.” 

Polly seated herself upon a sofa, and with an expression 
of calm despair she listened anxiously to the explanation. 

“ In the middle of last night ” (continued the officer), 
“the village was disturbed by the loud ringing of the 


112 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


alarm-bell at the rectory, accompanied by violent screams 
and shouts for 4 Help,’ and ‘ Murder!’ ” 

“ Good heavens ! what next ?” exclaimed Polly. 

“ The watchman quickly sprang his rattle and ran to- 
ward the spot, shortly followed by others, who had heard 
the alarm. Upon arrival at the rectory they found the 
door broken open, while the screams continued. At this 
time I myself arrived upon the scene, and upon rushing up 
the stairs I entered a room by a door that was wide open, 
where I found Miss Edith Jones endeavoring to support her 
father, who was lying on the ground bleeding from a wound 
in his left breast. Several maid-servants were screaming 
for help, and a strong smell of gunpowder filled the apart- 
ment. At the same time Mrs. Jones had fainted, and was 
lying helpless upon the floor. 

“ It appeared that the house had been broken into and 
robbed at about one o’clock in the morning, and that Par- 
son Jones, hearing a noise in the room where his papers 
were kept in a chest with a large sum of money, got out of 
bed, and upon entering the room it is supposed he must 
have disturbed the robbers in the act, as a large parcel of 
plate packed up in a blanket was left behind in their flight. 
At that time one of the robbers fired a pistol, which struck 
the unfortunate gentleman in the left breast. A few mo- 
ments after the report of the pistol Mrs. Jones and Miss 
Edith arrived with a light, and found the poor gentleman 
dying. Mrs. Jones fainted on the spot, and Miss Edith en- 
deavored to raise her father from the ground ; but he was 
at the last gasp, and could only press her hand, and, with a 
struggle for utterance, he whispered faintly, but most dis- 
tinctly, ‘ Ned Grey.’ 

“ The robbers had escaped with all the money, which 
amounted to two hundred guineas, and the poor gentleman 
is now lying dead ; while Mrs. Jones is gone almost frantic, 


VAST UP BY THE SEA. 


113 


and Miss Edith won’t hear of it when her mother says it 
must be Ned Grey who did it, because the parson said so 
in his last moments.” 

During the relation of this dreadful narrative Polly Grey 
had stared fixedly at the constable as though she were in 
a dream. At the conclusion she uttered incoherently, as 
though thinking aloud, “ Ned Grey ! Ned Grey ! What 
Ned Grey? Not my Ned ! But where is Ned?” 

“ That’s exactly the question,” replied the officer ; “ as 
his presence is required before the magistrate, also that of 
his father.” 

“ Paul left the Cove last evening in the Polly , and I do 
not know when he will return ; but Ned arrived here last 
night after his father’s departure, and this morning at a 
very early hour he, with the negro lad Tim and the dog, 
started along the sea-beach, and they have never since been 
heard of. I am almost distracted with anxiety, as I can 
not tell what has become of them, and I fear some terrible 
accident by the high tide.” 

A hoarse chuckle was succeeded by a murmur from 
Mother Lee : “ He’s not born to be drowned, not he ! more 
likely for the gallows ! and Paul ’ll swing in company if he 
gets his right !” 

Polly looked at the horrible countenance of Mother Lee 
with undisguised contempt ; but the old woman, who had 
vowed vengeance upon Paul and his family ever since the 
night of her narrow escape when she hove rocks upon the 
cutter’s crew, now glared at Polly with a malicious triumph 
that made her naturally repulsive features still more hideous. 

At this moment the constable, having risen from his 
seat, apologized for the intrusion, but declared that he 
could not avoid acting upon the search-warrant, therefore 
he must proceed to examine the premises. 

“ With all my heart,” replied Polly, who could hardly 


114 


CAST UP BY THE SEA 


realize her situation ; “ search the house and outbuildings. 
There is no one here — I wish there were !” 

Without more delay, the officer with four of his men 
proceeded to search the various rooms, while a constable 
remained with Polly and Mother Lee. It is needless to add 
that nothing could be found that threw the slightest sus- 
picion upon the house, and the officer shortly returned and 
requested Polly to unlock certain cupboards in the kitchen 
that were erected against the cliff, which having been cut 
perfectly straight formed a natural wall. 

Polly handed him the key, and he opened the right-hand 
door; there was nothing but a few jars, with sundry bot- 
tles and other domestic articles. Perfectly satisfied with 
the result of his examination, the officer opened the left- 
hand cupboard. The shelves were nearly filled with trifling 
articles that belonged to a fisherman’s occupation: sail, 
needles, skeins of twine, packets of sail-cloth, etc. ; and hav- 
ing cast a hurried glance at the contents the officer careless- 
ly closed the door. 

“ Ha ! ha ! ha ! Ha ! ha ! ha !” yelled a harsh, shrill voice, 
as Mother Lee, who had been eagerly watching the exam- 
ination through the open door, now hobbled into the room. 
“ Your eyes ain’t worth much if yer can’t see through an 
inch plank,” said the old woman, as she threw open the 
door of the cupboard that the officer had closed ; at the 
same time she struck the back with the end of her stick, 
which resounded with a hollow tone like a large drum. 
“ There’s music for yer to dance to ! if your eyes are no 
good, your ears may help yer if yer ain’t deaf as well as 
blind,” screeched the wretched old hag, who to the astonish- 
ment of Polly knew the secret of the cave. 

The constable approached the cupboard with curiosi- 
ty, and, half incredulous, he obeyed the direction of the old 
woman as she cried ; 


CAST UP BY THE SEa. 


115 


“ Push the bolt back under the bottom shelf, and put 
your shoulder to it — that’s the secret.” 

In an instant the back of the cupboard together with 
the shelves flew open, and exposed the dark and narrow 
gallery in the rock, to which it formed an entrance. 

“ We must have a light!” said the ofticer. “Perhaps 
you were not aware of this secret, Mrs. Grey,” he continued, 
as Polly, deadly pale and trembling, struck a light, and 
shortly handed him a candle without making him a reply. 

The officer, followed by several of his men, cautiously 
entered the cave as though fearing a surprise. In about 
five minutes they returned heavily laden with various pack- 
ages, and again entered the gallery, as much remained to be 
removed. 

On the completion of their task it was discovered that 
contraband goods of considerable value had been concealed, 
and a list was immediately made out, specifying the number 
of bales of silk, kegs of brandy and hollands, and packages 
of tobacco that had been seized, while notice of the event 
was immediately dispatched to the coast-guard station. 

There was one old box that was hardly worth examina- 
tion, as it appeared to contain little beyond some loose cot- 
ton-wool ; but, as this was brought into the kitchen from 
the cave, Polly immediately rushed forward. 

“You must not touch that!” she cried. “That box is 
Ned’s own, although he does not know it : the contents are 
sacred. For heaven’s sake do not interfere with that, as all 
depends upon it ! — his future — his very identity— every 
thing in the world.” 

As Polly, in great excitement, thus addressed the con- 
stables, their suspicions that had already been justly aroused 
were rendered still more keen, and the chief officer calmly 
but determinedly insisted upon an examination of the con- 
tents. In another instant a bag containing two hundred 
8 


116 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


guineas was discovered lying as though for the purpose of 
concealment among the loose cotton- wool which nearly filled 
the box. Hardly had the gold been produced, than a small 
parcel containing a valuable diamond necklace, several rings, 
and a gold locket was likewise brought forth, to the amaze- 
ment of the officer. 

A large sum of gold had been stolen from the rectory; 
here was a bag, evidently concealed, containing the exact 
amount (two hundred guineas), also diamonds that could 
not possibly belong to a person in Polly Grey’s position. 
Contraband goods, also concealed, proved that Paul Grey, 
and probably Ned likewise, had been engaged in lawless 
and desperate adventures; both were now absent. The 
whole affair looked extremely suspicious. Polly might have 
misled the constables respecting their absence ; they might 
possibly be concealed in the neighborhood ; decidedly she 
had not volunteered any information, and the cave had beer 
discovered simply through the instrumentality of Mother 
Lee. 

There was only one course to pursue; in spite of Polly’s 
entreaties, the officer declared that he must take possession 
of the gold and diamonds, as he suspected them to be a 
portion of the property stolen from the rectory, and he 
would wait for the arrival of Captain Smart, of the coast- 
guard, to whom he should hand over the articles of contra- 
band. 

About two hours passed, during which Polly Grey was 
in an agony of suspense, and she at length hailed the arrival 
of Captain Smart with unrepressed delight as the door 
opened and he entered the room. 

“ Thank God you are come at last !” cried Polly. “ Be- 
fore you speak a word, drive that insolent old hag from the 
house. Begone !” shouted Polly to old Mother Lee, who 
had hitherto sat like an evil spirit watching her misery. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


m 


Joe Smart, without more ado, seized the old woman by 
the arm, and in spite of her curses he bundled her out of 
the door ; at the same time he remarked to the chief con- 
stable upon the gross impropriety of allowing her to have 
remained so long against the wishes of the owner of the 
cottage. 

“ She is our principal witness,” replied the constable ; 
“ and without her we should never have discovered the cave. 
Look at this mass of property ; we owe the whole to Mother 
Lee. Take your share. All the contraband belongs to you ; 
and this comes to my department,” exclaimed the constable, 
as he produced the bag of guineas and the glittering neck- 
lace of brilliants. 

It would be impossible to paint the surprise and conster- 
nation of Joe Smart at this intelligence. He glanced first 
at the numerous articles that lay upon the floor, and then 
he turned inquiringly to Polly, with an expression of min- 
gled curiosity and despair. 

“ Judge for yourself,” continued the officer, as he led the 
way to the cave, followed instinctively by the astonished 
friend of the family. 

There was no possibility of doubt respecting the smug- 
gled goods ; but upon Joe Smart’s return to the room Polly 
immediately called him on one side, and in a few words she 
confided to him the long-kept secret of the gold and dia- 
mond necklace, with the locket, and all that had been dis- 
covered in the box when the infant was washed ashore ; 
and that her only object in secreting them was to insure 
their safety in case they might at some future time be re- 
quired to prove Ned Grey’s identity. 

“ As to the other goods,” continued Polly, “ they belong- 
ed to Paul, and he will explain all concerning them upon 
his return. I do not presume to interfere with his affairs. 
The existence of the cave he always wished to remain a se* 


118 


CAST UP BY !rEE SEA. 


cret, and I should be a faithless wife to divulge what he 
concealed.” 

At the first glance Captain Smart, as a revenue officer, 
perceived that the affair was exceedingly grave, for, although 
he had not the slightest doubt of Polly Grey’s integrity, he 
saw that the absence of both Paul and Ned, together with 
the young negro, would be a natural cause for suspicion, es- 
pecially as Paul’s antecedents would not add to his good 
reputation. He thoroughly believed Polly’s explanation of 
the bag of guineas and the diamond necklace. The latter 
was worth at least a thousand pounds, and he saw that the 
fact of its possession by Paul would render such a story as 
that of the shipwreck most improbable, if not actually in- 
credible. At all events, it would not be believed by the 
hardened authorities of the law. It was now his painful 
duty to .seize as articles of contraband the large amount of 
property that lay before him, and, even worse, it would be 
necessary to take the person of his old friend into custody 
immediately upon his arrival. How should he be able to 
lay hands upon Polly’s husband ? Joe Smart had always 
loved her, first as a suitor, but after her marriage with Paul 
he had resigned himself to his fate, and had controlled his ' 
affection to the strict degree of friendship ; he now saw her 
in distress, and in Paul’s absence she had hailed his arrival 
as a deliverer; but it would be his own hand that must 
press most heavily upon them, while his heart burned with 
the keenest sympathy. 

“ My dear Mrs. Grey,” said the straightforward Joe 
Smart, “ this is a very serious affair, and you must make up 
your mind to bear many severe trials before it can be con- 
cluded ; at the same time depend upon me as your truest 
friend, although, as the King’s officer, I may be forced to 
act in a manner that may belie such a profession of friend- 
ship. I am obliged to retain in custody the whole of the 


CAST UP BY TUB SB A. 


i 19 

articles that have been discovered in the cave, and l only- 
trust that my old friend Paul will land upon some other 
part of the Cornish coast, where I have not the com- 
mand.” 

“ But where is Ned ?” asked Polly, in a voice of unnat- 
ural calmness, as though the oppression of so many mis- 
fortunes had rendered her callous to adversity. “ You can 
not suspect Ned ; neither would Tim do any thing that was 
wrong. The dog also is with them, and they all slept here 
last night, and only left the house early in the morning. 
What can have become of them ? I fear that horrible old 
woman is at the bottom of this,” continued Polly. “ She 
vowed vengeance against Paul for having threatened to 
throw her over the cliff on the night when the cutter was 
lost with all the crew. Me she has always hated ; and Ned 
told me that he saw her in the church -yard by the rectory 
only last evening. What business had she so far from the 
Cove ? The w T hole affair is a fearful mystery. You know 
how Ned loved dear old Parson Jones and Edith. It was 
only last night that the boy opened his heart to me, and 
told me how he loved her, and how he would try by indus- 
try to win a position worthy of her. Edith loves him. 
Perhaps her poor father suspected it, and would have 
spoken of him to her with his last breath, as he died with 
the name of ‘Ned Grey’ upon his lips. The mother is a 
good but foolish woman, and she is carried away by her 
distress. But Edith knows. She knows as well as I do 
how good and true is Ned. I must go to her this moment; 
perhaps she can throw some light upon his absence. At 
all events, it will be a comfort to see some one who loves 
my boy !” 

Joe Smart could find no words of comfort. He knew 
that it would be impossible for such a boy as Ned to com- 
mit a crime. At the same time he saw that the circum- 


CAST CP BY TUB SB A. 


120 

stances of the case would naturally throw a certain amount 
of suspicion upon parties who had been seen at the rectory 
on the previous night, but who had disappeared as mysteri- 
ously a few hours later, during which interval robbery and 
murder had been committed, while the exact sum of money 
that was missing had been found concealed in the house 
occupied by those who were now suddenly absent. 

“ When do you expect Paul home ?” asked Joe Smart. 

“ I have no idea. His return is always uncertain,” re- 
plied Polly. 

“ Well,” said Joe, “ in the mean time, Mrs. Grey, it will 
be better to return these heavy parcels to the cave. You 
will give me the key of the cupboard entrance, and I will 
trust to your honor that they shall not be removed until I 
can bring the men necessary for the purpose.” 

Captain Smart now turned to the constables, and ex- 
plained the affair of the shipwreck nearly fifteen years ago, 
how Ned had been saved as an infant, and the gold and 
precious stones now discovered had been found with the 
child, and secreted for an excellent purpose by Polly Grey 
and Paul, who had acted throughout as though they were 
the parents of the boy. 

<( That’s all very well, and it may be perfectly true,” re- 
plied the chief officer ; “ but under the circumstances it is 
my duty to deposit the valuables with a justice of the 
peace. If the tale can be proved, it will be all right ; but 
surely Mrs. Grey must be aware that such valuable articles 
as diamonds and a large sum of gold should have been 
placed in the hands of a magistrate at the time that the in- 
fant was saved, when the discovery was first made. The 
neglect of this caution is now manifest, if the tale be true ; 
but as a burglary and murder have been committed, and a 
sum of guineas stolen, while her son Ned was supposed to 
be at the rectory and he is now suddenly missing, what 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


12] 


other conclusion can be arrived at but that he is in some 
way implicated in the affair ? Especially as we have now 
found a bag of guineas carefully concealed, with other sus- 
picious property, while the last words of the murdered gen- 
tleman appeared to point to the lad in particular.” 

“ It’s of no use arguing the question here,” said Captain 
Smart ; “ the affair will be sifted and decided by the proper 
authorities. I know Ned Grey, and I would stake my life 
upon his character. It is very distressing, Mrs. Grey,” 
added he, turning to Polly, “ but it will all come right in 
the end, you may depend upon it ; only have patience, which 
I confess is sorely needed, and if I can help you in any way 
only point out the manner, and it will be my greatest hap- 
piness to serve you. 

“ Just put back those packages into the rock, my lads,” 
continued Captain Smart, as he addressed the constables ; 
“ and give me the key.” 

In the mean time the chief officer made up the gold and 
jewels in a sealed packet, and gave a receipt in writing to 
Polly Grey. The party then withdrew, leaving Polly and 
Joe Smart alone. 

“ I don’t like the complexion of this affair, Mrs. Grey,” 
said Joe Smart. “I have no fear for Ned, as he is a boy 
who can take good care of himself; but I feel sure that 
there is some underhand work that must be brought to 
light. I can not allow you to walk alone to the rectory ; 
the goods are all safe now that they are replaced in the 
cave, and you must permit me to accompany you. As you 
say, Miss Edith may be able to throw some light upon 
Ned’s absence.” 

“ You were always a good friend,” said Polly, “ but I 
never appreciated kindness so much as now and hastily 
throwing a shawl over her shoulders, she took Joe’s arm 
and started for the rectory, 


122 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


It would be useless to describe the meeting between 
Polly Grey and Edith. There was a natural sympathy be- 
tween them which their distress only served to strengthen. 
Edith could give no other account of Ned than the fact of 
his having parted with her late in the preceding evening, 
when he had been followed by Nero. 

“ Oh !” exclaimed the sobbing girl, “ if Nero had only 
remained here no thieves could have entered the house, and 
my dear father might have been still alive !” 

On the other hand, her mother, who was naturally weak, 
and a woman of impulse, leaned to the opinion that Ned 
was in some way implicated in the burglary because her 
husband had mentioned his name ; and the fact of the dog 
having been allured away from the premises on the fatal 
night only served to rivet her suspicion. Edith was furious 
at the idea, and in the evidence that she had given before 
the magistrates she laid much stress upon the appearance 
of old Mother Lee, that had been so quickly followed by 
the figures of two men who had furtively passed by the 
church-yard on the previous evening, when she and Ned 
had conversed together. This testimony was but slightly 
regarded, and, in spite of her protest, the general opinion 
leaned strongly toward the guilt of the absentees. 

One fisherman declared that he had seen a vessel in the 
dusk of the evening which he could not exactly swear to as 
the Polly , but he thought it was the lugger hovering about 
the coast. Thus a party might have landed, and effected 
their escape by sea after having committed the burglary. 
Rumors of all kinds more or less extravagant found cre- 
dence throughout the village ; but when toward evening the 
news spread of the discovery of a bag containing two hun- 
dred guineas, together with jewels and a quantity of con- 
traband articles in a secret cave connected with Paul Grey’s 
dwelling at Sandy Cove, there was a general conviction 


C AST UP BY THE SEA. 


123 


that the Grey family were concerned in the robbery. One 
woman said that she had dreamed a few nights ago that a 
black man was cutting her throat, therefore she believed 
that the negro Tim had shot the parson ; another woman 
had had a cold shiver run down her back as she crossed 
the church - yard on the Sunday afternoon, therefore she 
knew that a murder was to be committed ; while a third 
had always said from the beginning “ that no good would 
come of Ned Grey, as he was a deal too handsome to live.” 
However absurd, there was nothing that could be too ri- 
diculous to be believed ; even the watchman declared that, 
when he took his quart of ale at the White Hart just be- 
fore midnight, he had a taste of blood in his mouth, and so 
he “ thought as how there’d be a murder before morning 
but this warning had not kept him on the alert, as he had 
been fast asleep until awakened by the pistol - shot and 
screams from the rectory. 

That night was one of misery for many. Although Polly 
Grey was fatigued with the bodily exertions of the day, 
she was far too troubled to be able to close her eyes, and 
she begged the widow Mrs. Jones to be allowed to remain 
at the rectory, to sit up with her and Edith, as all were too 
sorrowful to sleep. 

Although Mrs. Jones, in the agony of her distress, had 
given way to the first impulse of her suspicion owing to 
the simple testimony of her husband’s last words, which 
were entirely unconnected, she was naturally a kind and 
warm-hearted person, and when closeted throughout the 
midnight hours with Edith and Polly Grey, she mingled 
her grief with theirs, and before the gray light of morning 
gleamed through the shutters she had been almost convert- 
ed to a belief in Ned’s innocence. 

The day following only increased Polly Grey’s suspense. 
No tidings could be heard of Ned. It was difficult to say 


124 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


which suffered most deeply — whether those who mourned 
for one dead, or those who lived in the torture of a con- 
stant anxiety. Unfortunately Edith had to bear the double 
trial : she had lost a father whom she had loved tenderly, 
and not only was Ned missing but his name was blackened 
with suspicion. 

That same afternoon the jury at the coroner’s inquest 
brought in a verdict of Willful Murder against Paul and 
Ned Grey, together with the negro, Tim. The principal 
witness had been Mother Lee, who swore that she had seen 
all three persons lurking about the premises shortly before 
midnight, and that they afterward took the road in the di- 
rection of Sandy Cove. A warrant was immediately issued 
for their apprehension. 

The news of this danger and disgrace added to her fa- 
ther’s death was too much for the excited nerves of Edith. 
On the day of her father’s funeral she was seized with a 
violent fit of shivering, and a few hours later she was pros- 
trated by a burning fever. In addition to other calamities, 
Polly Grey had been arrested upon suspicion of connivance 
at the robbery and concealment of stolen goods ; and this 
innocent and lovely woman had been taken to the common 
jail, until she was bailed out by the promptitude of Captain 
Smart and the widow, Mrs. Jones ; the latter had now insist- 
ed upon her remaining at the rectory until some news should 
be received of her husband and Ned. 

Polly was now able to repay this kindness by the careful 
nursing of her youthful patient, Edith, who lay in delirium 
for several days, almost beyond the hope of recovery. Al- 
though she was in a state of perpetual suspense at the un- 
usually long absence of Paul, in addition to the mysterious 
disappearance of Ned, Polly Grey’s spirit rose against the 
pressure of adversity, and she sought consolation in that 
trust in Providence which religion taught her was the only 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


125 


help in the hour of need. Bereft of all that had made life 
happy, she now devoted herself to the care of Edith, whom 
she loved with increased affection as the sharer of her anx- 
iety for Ned. 

For three weeks Edith lay in the greatest danger ; but 
at the expiration of that time a sudden change took place, 
and as the restless and weary night passed away the morn- 
ing dawned upon a pale, thin face, which had suddenly lost 
the deep scarlet flush that for so many days had overspread 
the features. For a moment, as Polly opened the shutters 
and looked upon the finely chiselled face that looked like 
the whitest marble, she thought the spirit had fled forever, 
and she hastened to the bedside and gently took the slender 
hand that lay upon the coverlet. There was a faintly per- 
ceptible pulse, and the sharp, hard throbbing of fever had 
ceased ; she leaned over the lovely face, and placed her 
cheek close to Edith’s lips ; she breathed gently and regu- 
larly ; the breath was no longer hot, and the patient calmly 
slept : it was the first natural sleep that she had had for 
many days. 

“ Thank God !” whispered Polly to herself, and she quiet- 
ly left the room to carry the happy intelligence to the moth- 
er, who had been so broken down with sorrow as to be al- 
most helpless. 

From that hour Edith mended ; she woke from her sleep 
refreshed ; her mind was calm and clear, and as she saw 
Polly’s thankful face beaming over her, she gently placed 
her thin white arm around her neck, and drew her lips to- 
ward her. 

“ You have been very kind to me, dear Mrs. Grey. But 
how tired you look ; lie down and sleep ; I am well now,” 
said Edith, as she endeavored to sit up, but fell back ex- 
hausted in the bed. Polly was a careful nurse, and she had 
already prepared a stimulant to refresh the patient upon 


] 2G 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


waking, and after a short time she again fell asleep. That 
day dated the commencement of her recovery. 

In a few weeks Edith was once more in the open air, but 
the rectory was no longer the same. The noisy shouts of 
school-boys had long ceased, as the school had been broken 
up, and a profound stillness made the formerly happy spot 
almost unbearable. It was a large house, that required a 
considerable family to enliven it, and now that this sudden 
desolation had taken place, it appeared like a miserable soli- 
tude. Polly Grey had become almost one of the family 
since the general affliction, and Edith could not sufficiently 
express her gratitude for the tender care that had saved her 
in her dangerous illness. The good but weak Mrs. Jones 
now leaned upon Polly as her right hand, and she had not 
only forgotten her suspicions of Ned Grey, but upon hear- 
ing of the valuable diamond necklace, she had taken a vast 
interest in the boy’s fate, as she felt no doubt that he was 
the child of some person of considerable position. 

Dr. Jones, as has before been stated, was a man of inde- 
pendent fortune : the rectory, together with a farm of sev- 
eral hundred acres, was his own freehold ; in addition to 
which he had left a fortune of nearly £50,000.’ A life in- 
terest in £20,000 had been left to his widow, while the re- 
mainder was bequeathed absolutely to his only child, Edith. 

As Edith was now sufficiently recovered to bear the open 
air the doctor proposed a change, and Polly suggested that 
they should retire to her pretty cottage on the cliff at Sandy 
Cove, where they could rough it in a snug and clean dwell- 
ing, with the beautiful view of the sea, and a fresh breeze 
that was a finer tonic than all the doctor’s drugs. This pro- 
posal was at once adopted : a cart-load of sundry little luxu- 
ries was dispatched to the care of Captain Smart, of the 
coast-guard station, who not only received them, but with a 
sailor’s neatness and assiduity he arranged every thing in 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


127 


readiness for the reception of the party, so that the cottage 
never had looked so pretty as when they all arrived, and 
found the proud and good-natured face of Captain Smart 
to welcome them at the door. 

There was a certain excitement in the move and the 
change of scene that had a marvellous effect in quelling the 
pangs of their recent affliction. There is an extraordinary 
power in the nerves of the eye that exerts an immediate in- 
fluence upon the mind, and the scene being changed, the 
miseries of the past were for the moment left behind in the 
localities with which they were associated. 

On the following morning they sat together at breakfast, 
looking out of the open window upon the blue and now 
peaceful sea. Polly Grey was the saddest of the party, as 
she was in her old home, and her eyes were fixed upon sev- 
eral articles that were arranged upon the walls which be- 
longed to Paul and Ned. There was a new red woolen 
comforter that she had knitted for Paul when he had start- 
ed. This was to have been given to him on his return ; it 
had now been folded carefully by Joe Smart and placed 
upon the mantle-piece beneath the picture of the Polly. 

At this moment Edith started as a figure passed the win- 
dow. “ Mrs. Grey !” she suddenly shouted, “ take care !” 

The next instant the figure of old Mother Lee stood peer- 
ing into the cottage. “ You’re a pretty thing to call yerself 
a wife !” screamed the old woman, in her most horrible key. 
“ Doesn’t luck come from the sou’-west ?” 

Polly rushed to the door. “ What did she mean ?” cried 
the almost frantic wife, as the figure of the old woman van- 
ished before she could unfasten the latch. 

“ I see !” cried Edith, “ it is a ship 1” 

Polly Grey gazed intently from the window at a small 
white spot on the horizon. 

(( It is a sea-bird,” said Mrs. Jones, 


128 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


For some minutes not a word was spoken ; all eyes were 
fixed upon the vessel. Presently Polly Grey turned pale as 
death as the vessel, altering her course, distinctly exposed 
the three masts and rig of a lugger. 

“ It is the Polly ! it is Paul !” shouted Polly Grey, as she 
fell heavily on the floor, overpowered by hopes and fears. 


CHAPTER V IT. 


T I ''HE wind was blowing hard from the north, and the lug- 
ger presently stood off on another tack. At this mo- 
ment the white sails of a revenue cutter were suddenly per- 
ceived as she rounded a point, and with a spanking breeze 
she bore down direct upon the lugger. Polly had quickly 
recovered from her emotion, and the three now watched 
with intense interest the movements of the two vessels, feel- 
ing convinced that Paul was within a few hours of home. 

As the lugger was close hauled to the wind, endeavoring 
to beat up toward the shore, she had no chance of escaping 
the cutter, should that be her intention, unless by altering 
her course and running before the wind. This she present 
ly did, and in a few minutes she disappeared below the hori- 
zon, while the cutter in full sail chased in the same direc- 
tion. This was a terrible disappointment to Polly Grey, 
who with natural eagerness had expected her husband’s 
quick return. More than a month had passed without the 
slightest tidings since Paul had left Sandy Cove. At 
that time the Channel was full of British cruisers and 
privateers which preyed like falcons upon the French com- 
merce, while on the other hand the French ships of war 
were ever on the lookout for British merchant vessels re- 
turning deeply laden from the colonies. Accordingly there 
was much risk attending unarmed vessels that ventured too 
near the coast of France. Polly Grey’s chief anxiety was, 
that Paul might have been captured by the French ; but as 
she had now recognized his vessel, she had no longer any 


130 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


fear of the common enemy : the danger lay in the revenue 
cutters. There was a real cause for apprehension ; should 
he return in safety, he might be immediately arrested upon 
the charge of smuggling, even should the ridiculous accu- 
sation of complicity in the burglary fall to the ground. 
This latter charge was only supported by the false evidence 
of Mother Lee, who had sworn that she saw him near the 
rectory on the night of the murder. 

The day passed away in watching the sea; the cutter 
had quickly disappeared in chase of the lugger in the morn- 
ing. It was now past six in the evening, and for the last 
two or three hours the wind had changed ; and although 
there was no appearance of actual bad weather, it was blow- 
ing hard from the south-west, and, as usual, a heavy surf was 
breaking upon the rocky coast. 

As the wind was now fair, Polly, and other inhabitants of 
the Cove, who were experienced in the locality, expected that 
the lugger would run for the bay during the night. Among 
others, Mother Lee was also of this opinion ; and, true to 
her natural instincts, she had already collected some staves 
of old tar-barrels and a quantity of inflammable material 
for the purpose of making the fires necessary as guides. 

As has been already described, this wretched woman had 
vowed vengeance against Paul and all that belonged to him 
ever since the memorable night on which he had dashed 
her to the ground when caught in the dastardly act of ston- 
ing the drowning crew of the cutter. From that moment 
there was no villainy that Mother Lee would not have per- 
petrated in order to effect his ruin. Thus she had endeav- 
ored to swear away his life, together with that of Ned, in 
the false evidence given in the case of the burglary. She 
also had betrayed the secret of the cave ; and this night she 
intended to complete his ruin and death by an act of treacL 
ery still more diabolical. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


131 


Paul Grey, as is well known, was a daring, and hitherto 
a successful smuggler ; and whenever it had been necessary 
to run straight for Sandy Cove on a dark and stormy night, 
when all other vessels would have avoided the coast, he 
could depend upon his knowledge of the locality, and upon 
the fires which were generally lighted on the heights upon 
either side to guide the Polly into the entrance of the bay. 

Mother Lee felt certain that the Polly, being chased by 
the cruiser, would, as usual, run for the bay during the 
night, as the wind was blowing hard directly upon the 
shore, therefore the cutter would hesitate to approach the 
rocks. She accordingly determined to arrange a snare that 
must inevitably wreck the Polly , and destroy all on board. 
Having collected a large quantity of fuel, which she tied in 
many bundles, she left word in the village that she would 
take care of the fires as usual, if a couple of men would give 
her a hand in carrying the fagots to the proper points; this 
was done without loss of time. 

Immediately after dark the old woman, unseen by any 
one, busied herself in carrying several bundles of shavings 
and a quantity of barrel-staves to the cliff against which, 
upon a former occasion, the mast of the cutter had been 
dashed, with the clinging crew. 

She found the pile of fuel properly arranged by the 
fishermen upon the edge of the precipice overhanging the 
narrow entrance of the bay. On the opposite side, upon a 
corresponding height, they had piled the fagots for the 
parallel fire ; but this it was not Mother Lee’s intention to 
light. Guessing as nearly as possible the width of the en- 
trance to the bay, the old woman carried her fagots to an 
equal width from the fuel already piled upon the cliff. Here 
she carefully arranged the shavings and the staves of tar- 
barrels in readiness for the occasion. 

There were now three piles of fuel instead of two ; thus 
9 


132 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


should that on the left of the bay remain dark, while the 
other two on the right were lighted, the unfortunate vessel, 
that might trust to the fires as guides, would be led at full 
speed directly against the cliff, instead of to the mouth of 
the harbor. Such was the snare that the treachery of the 
old hag had designed. 

It was a dark night ; there were neither moon nor stars, 
and a heavy surf roared against the rocks, while the cliffs 
trembled with each heavy shock as the waves dashed 
against their sides. 

“ Ha, ha, ha !” chuckled the woman, as she leaned over 
the pile of dry wood and smeared a quantity of fresh tar 
from a small keg upon the shavings. “ This’ll make it ourn 
brightly, and keep the fire alight till it’s all over, I know. 
Mother Lee knows a trick or two, cuss them all !” she mut- 
tered, as she continued to dip small pieces of wood into the 
keg of tar, which she arranged beneath the pile, wiping her 
skinny fingers occasionally upon her tarred and greasy old 
rags, with which she was thickly clothed. “Mother Lee 
knows a trick or two,” she continued. “I’ll have revenge 
to-night. It was here down below I paid ’em out ; just here 
where the cutter’s people caught it, cuss ’em all ! and here, 
Paul Grey, you’ll catch it too. It was here you laid hands 
on Mother Lee, and here she’ll teach you that she knows a 
trick or two.” 

Thus the old woman muttered to herself as she arranged 
her yet unlighted beacons ; she had prepared herself with 
about a gallon of tar, in order to keep up a strong blaze by 
pouring it upon the fire whenever it should be required. 

In the mean time the villagers had gone to sleep, and 
the only persons who watched were Mother Lee upon the 
Point and Polly Grey from the cottage window ; Edith and 
her mother had retired to rest. 

The wind had increased in violence, and nothing could 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


133 


be seen in the thick darkness. Mother Lee was shivering 
with cold, but she had never ceased muttering curses 
through her chattering gums. “ He’s sure to come with 
this wind ; I never knew a stiff sou’-wester without some 
luck.” These words had hardly escaped from her thm lips 
when a bright light flashed like a fiery thread into the dark 
clouds far out at sea. 

“ Ha, ha, ha ! There’s a rocket ! I said so ; I knew it. 
Here’s luck from the old quarter ! p’raps we’ll catch ’em 
both ; p’raps it’s the old story again, and the cutter’s chasing : 
then we’ll catch ’em in the same net, and make a night of 
it. Here’s luck from the sou’- west with a vengeance !” 

As the excited old wretch now speculated with delight 
upon the probability of wrecking both vessels, she drew 
out a tinder-box from a deep pocket in the many and 
intricate folds of her clothes, and, with hands trembling 
with devilish eagerness, she struck a light with a flint and 
steel. 

“ Hot the sparks, they won’t catch !” exclaimed the old 
woman in a rage, as she vainly struck the flint, and cut her 
knuckles in the dark with the steel. At length the tinder 
caught, and shading the box carefully with her hands, she 
placed it under the shelter of the shavings beneath the pile ; 
she then blew the spark while she applied a. match, and in a 
few seconds the tarred shavings took fire and ignited the 
entire pile. Taking a lighted stick from the fire she car- 
ried it to the remaining beacon ; presently it blazed bright- 
ly, and the snare was completed. 

Polly could see from the cottage window the rocket at sea, 
quickly answered by one from the coast-guard station and 
by the beacons on the cliff, but she could not detect any un- 
usual change in their position, as the entrance to the bay 
was so exceedingly narrow that the wrong direction of one 
fire could not be appreciated in the darkness. She accord 


134 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


ingly waited in earnest expectation of Paul’s safe arrival, as 
she knew that his vessel would sail straight for the entrance 
of the bay. Polly’s heart beat so loudly that she could hear 
it throb as every half hour increased her anxiety, and clasp- 
ing her aching breast with her hands she prayed fervently 
for her husband’s safe return. Once she thought of wak- 
ing Mrs. Jones and Edith, but on second thought she wish- 
ed to clasp Paul in her arms on his arrival without other 
witnesses to her joy ; thus Edith and her mother slept 
soundly. 

In the mean time the vessel neared the shore, running 
straight for the beacons at about ten knots an hour. Moth- 
er Lee stood upon the cliff, and vainly strove to pierce the 
darkness. 

“ She can’t be far off,” said the old woman. “ I’ll put 
another dose of tar upon the fires to give ’em a blaze. 
That’ll do it !” she muttered ; “ ha, ha, ha ! Mother Lee 
knows a trick or two, cuss ’em all !” She chuckled as she 
poured a quantity of tar upon the second fire at the point 
of the harbor’s mouth, which was followed by a roar of 
flame. “ Now for the other fire, so they’ll make no mis- 
take and come in prettily !” she again muttered as she ap- 
proached the other beacon ; but on her way among the 
loose stones her foot stumbled, and she fell over her open 
keg and became covered with the contents. “ Rot the 
stones, and rot the tar !” she exclaimed in a rage, as she 
wrung her saturated clothes into the keg lest she should 
lose a drop of her precious fuel. At this moment the clouds 
parted, and the moon in all its unexpected beauty burst 
upon the scene and illumined the hitherto dark surface of 
the sea. “ Here they come ! ha, ha ! Close in ! It’s all 
right !” almost shouted the old woman in ecstasy, as, having 
thrown the tar-keg into the blaze, she shaded her brow with 
both her skinny hands so as to keep out the dazzling light 




























































DESTRUCTION OF MOTHER LEE 



CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


13 *3 


which was directly behind her. The fire now roared up- 
ward with increased fury. 

The brilliant moonlight plainly discovered a vessel with- 
in a quarter of a mile of the rock, driving in full sail di- 
rectly upon the cliff, with the evident intention of passing 
between the beacons. Mother Lee crouched down lest her 
figure should be seen in the bright light. “ Cuss your 
light !” she muttered, as she shook her skinny fist at the un- 
welcome moon ; “ yer’ll be showing ’em the rocks and she 
stooped still lower to avoid being seen. In doing this, with 
her back to the fire, her thick stuff dress, already saturated 
with tar, became ignited behind without her knowledge, 
until the violent wind rapidly spread the flame. Quickly 
springing to her feet, she turned round, and in an instant 
the rush of air lashed the flames into forked sheets, which 
caught with wonderful velocity every portion of her inflam- 
mable dress. The awful truth flashed upon her, and with a 
yell that might have been heard a mile distant she rushed 
away from the edge of the cliff in a volume of red fire that 
ascended high in the air. Thick wreaths of black smoke 
reddened by the bright glare rolled upward in a murky vol- 
ume. Shriek succeeded shriek in the wildest agony of 
fright and bodily torture, as the fire now thoroughly en- 
veloped her and searched out every portion of her cloth- 
ing. In a waving pillar of flame she rushed to and fro in 
her frantic endeavors to escape from the relentless ene- 
my, and the hitherto bright beacons sank into insignifi- 
cance before the blazing pyramid of fire. 

The apparently doomed vessel was within three hundred 
yards of the cliff when this third beacon startled the captain 
and crew. “ Luff !” shouted a powerful voice on board the 
ship. “ Let go the anchor !” 

Almost in the same instant the sudden order was obeyed, 
and the bows of the trembling vessel were brought quigkly 


138 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


to the wind, as a heavy sea struck her and washed her decks. 
At this moment, as she lay broadside on the waves, the rat- 
tle of the anchor could be heard as it fell. Once more a sea 
struck her and washed clean over her, but as it passed she 
was seen to swing to her anchor, and ride easily with her 
head to wind. Another anchor was let go, the cable veered 
out, and the vessel was saved when in the jaws of certain 
destruction. 

In the mean time Polly Grey, having seen the frightful 
calamity that had befallen some one (she knew not whom), 
had rushed instinctively toward the spot. Some few min- 
utes elapsed before she neared the still screaming figure. 
The fire burned with a steady blaze, although the clothes 
were nearly consumed, as the quantity of tar had converted 
them into a torch ; but before Polly reached the spot the 
figure was reduced to a blackened mass, with bright patch- 
es of fire adhering to many portions of the flesh ; there was 
no semblance to a human form, excepting the fact of two 
black skeleton arms and legs which were moving with fran- 
tic energy as the figure danced to and fro in attitudes of 
the wildest madness. 

Polly was horror-stricken. She knew not who it was, 
as the face was burned to a cinder ; but as she approached 
within a few yards without knowing what to do, the monk- 
ey-like figure uttered a terrific yell, and bounded over the 
perpendicular cliff. 

As the fiery body fell with increasing velocity from the 
height of two hundred feet, the rush of air revived the 
flames, which shot out from all parts of her scorched car- 
cass as Mother Lee rushed headlong into the boiling surf. 
One splash ! as the waves received her, and extinguished the 
bright flame that had marked her fall, in the exact spot 
where with the rock she had once crushed the struggling 
captain of the cutter, 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


139 


Upon the cliff stood Polly Grey, appalled with the hor- 
rible catastrophe ; but as the bright moon now clearly re- 
vealed the scene she regarded with dismay a revenue cut- 
ter lying at anchor in the heavy breakers, instead of the 
long expected lugger. She took a hasty glance in the har 
bor; it was empty. The Polly had not arrived; all her 
hopes of seeing Paul, and of pressing him in her arms once 
more, w^ere gone ! Sickened by her vain desire, and by the 
scene she had just witnessed, she sat down by one of the 
fires that had destroyed the infamous designer of the snare. 

The truth now flashed upon her that the false position 
of the beacons could only have originated from Mother Lee, 
and she had no longer any doubt that the attenuated and 
dreadful figure that she had seen dancing and writhing in 
the flames could have been no other than the old woman, 
who had met with this just but fearful retribution. 

It now began to rain violently, and the wind suddenly 
changed to the north, blowing off the shore ; the beacon 
fires hissed as the heavy rain-drops blackened the hot em- 
bers, and Polly, cold and shivering, was driven to the shel- 
ter of her barren home. Tired with watching, and sadden- 
ed with constant anxiety, she threw off her wet clothes, and 
fell asleep as soon as she lay upon her bed. 

The next morning found the inhabitants of the village in 
great excitement, as, instead of the Polly , the revenue cut- 
ter, commanded by Captain Smart, was lying snugly within 
the bay. The wind off the shore had produced a calm sea, 
and they had towed the cutter into the Cove for better se- 
curity. 

Joe Smart was a welcome guest at the cottage on the 
cliff, and Polly Grey had met him at the entrance full of 
eager curiosity. 

“ Where is Paul ? where is the Polly she exclaimed, 
as she opened the door, “ Tell me all you know, I beseech 


140 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


you,” she added, as she gave him a chair by the window 
overlooking the sea. 

“I know nothing, unfortunately, my dear Mrs. Grey,” 
replied Joe Smart. “ My story is simply told. It was my 
duty to examine the character of a suspicious-looking lug- 
ger that we observed in the offing as she appeared to be 
beating up for the coast. We ran toward her with a fair 
wind, but she sailed like a witch, and upon seeing our 
approach, it was a case of ‘ up stick and away;’ for she al- 
tered her tack, and, going free, she left us out of sight, and 
we have never seen her since. The wind then changed, and 
as evening came on, it blew hard from the sou’-west. I 
knew that the good people of Sandy Cove were attentive in 
lighting the beacons to guide the Polly , or any other friend, 
into the bay upon a dark night, so I thought I might as 
well take advantage of their lamps and come in myself. 
The night was stormy, and so dark that we could not make 
out the coast, therefore I sent up a rocket, which was not 
only answered by the station, but by two fires that were al- 
most immediately lighted on the cliff ; these we all consid- 
ered to be the guides to the harbor’s mouth. Accordingly 
we steered directly for them, with the intention of sailing 
straight into the Cove. As we neared the fires within a ca- 
ble’s length I suddenly caught sight of a horrible figure 
that looked like some old witch, that sprang from the earth 
blazing with fire, dancing in tremendous flames with frantic 
gestures to and fro, actually between and on a level with the 
beacons. Thus providentially warned of our danger, I 
knew that the beacons were false guides, as there was the 
high cliff between them instead of the harbor’s mouth. We 
were running at nine knots, and apparently close to the dan- 
ger; but luffing quickly we checked the cutter’s way in 
time to let go a couple of anchors : after a good ducking, 
as several seas swept us before she came fairly round, we 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


141 


rode out the gale until the wind changed. If the gale had 
increased we must have been lost, as the cables must have 
chafed through upon the rocks; even now a couple of 
strands are cut through, although we remained but a short 
time at anchor. I now find,” continued Captain Smart, 
“that I am indebted to old Mother Lee for the false bea- 
cons, as I have just heard in the village that the pile on the 
east side of the entrance was never fired, although the two 
real beacons were prepared by the fishermen. Thus the old 
woman had laid a trap that had nearly proved fatal to us, 
although there can be no doubt that it was intended for the 
Polly. For what reason this diabolical scheme was pre- 
pared I can not say.” 

Polly Grey now described the sight she had witnessed, 
and there could be no doubt that Mother Lee had perished 
by a frightful death. She also explained the uncalled-for 
hatred that the old woman had entertained for her and 
Paul, and the endeavor she had made to wreck the Polly 
was only the climax to a long career of crime which had 
now met with its reward. 

During this conversation Edith and her mother joined 
the party, and learned with astonishment the startling events 
of the past night. Some weeks had elapsed after this 
event, and the affection between Edith and Polly Grey had 
increased to a degree that rendered the idea of parting in- 
supportable. The widow, Mrs. J ones, proposed that Polly 
Grey should live with them at the rectory, and that occa- 
sionally they should pass a month or two at the cottage on 
the cliff for change of air and scene ; but that at any rate 
Polly should not reside alone until something should be 
heard of her missing husband and her boy Ned. 

In the mean time, as week after week passed by without 
any intelligence of her husband, Captain Smart lost no op- 
portunity of soothing Polly’s anxieties, and he proved his 


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CAST UP BY THE SEA 


affection for his absent friend and his devotion to his old 
love by buoying up her hopes with plausible suggestions as 
to the cause of Paul’s absence and the probability of his re- 
turn ; at the same time he took care to supply all that she 
could possibly require. This was the more important, as 
Polly was entirely without money : several debts were 
pressing ; as Paul had suddenly disappeared, those who were 
his creditors sent in their bills and demanded a settlement 
of accounts. Joe Smart had foreseen this difficulty, and he 
at length prevailed upon Polly Grey to intrust him with 
the management of her affairs until the happy day should 
arrive when Paul should appear in person. At first, Polly 
had declined his well-meant offer, as she knew that it placed 
her in a difficult position. Joe Smart was a man of honor, 
but at the same time he had been her unsuccessful suitor : 
thus, in the absence of her husband, it was an affair of ex- 
ceeding delicacy to define the exact degree of intimacy that 
should exist between them. At the same time it was neces- 
sary that the debts should be paid ; but how was that pos- 
sible without money? She had no claim upon Mrs. Jones, 
the widow, who although rich, was totally ignorant of busi- 
ness affairs, and she herself required advice ; therefore, al- 
though much against her inclination, Polly had no alterna- 
tive but to accept the assistance of Joe Smart until her hus- 
band should return. 

While pondering over her difficulties she was struck by 
an idea which in some measure relieved her position ; it oc- 
curred to her that the widow Jones might be equally assist- 
ed by Joe Smart, should he consent to undertake the man- 
agement of her property, in which case his attentions to her 
individually would be shared by another, and would not ap- 
pear so personal. 

To her great satisfaction Mrs. Jones agreed to the pro- 
posal. The indefatigable Captain Smart was always ready 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


143 


to render assistance ; and the arrangement was shortly con- 
cluded that he was to have the entire control of her affairs, 
and that a small room at the rectory was to be fitted up as 
an office to which he could at all times have free access. 

Accordingly there was no restriction upon his visits, 
and he contrived that he could attend to his new duties 
three times during the week without interfering with his 
official occupation. 

This was a source of much comfort to the widow Jones, 
and she quickly learned to rely upon the one-armed captain 
with implicit confidence, and even to look forward to his 
periodical visits with pleasure and almost impatience ; while, 
on the other hand, as the hopes of Paul’s return grew more 
distant, it can not be denied that Joe Smart’s sympathy for 
Polly Grey was fast returning to the warm affection that 
had caused the disappointment to his youth. He would 
hardly dare to acknowledge to himself that he loved her in 
any other light than as his old friend and the wife of his 
friend Paul ; but as he secretly analyzed his feelings he 
started at the throb of his own heart when the thought 
passed through his mind “ that Paul was, perhaps, still alive, 
and might again return !” It was a dangerous position for 
the generous and sensitive Joe Smart. He was now thrown 
constantly in the society of the love of his boyhood, who 
was still beautiful, and who always met him with a warmth 
of welcome that evinced her gratitude for the many kind- 
nesses she had received from his hand. But in Polly Grey’s 
breast there was only one feeling : this was a devotion to 
the true objects of her affection, Paul and Ned ; not a 
thought of another love ever crossed her mind. Next to 
them her heart clung to Edith, and she regarded Joe Smart 
with the warm but pure feelings of an old friend. 

Edith had grown sad. She loved Polly Grey as a new 
rpother ? and this love had sprung from a common sorrow. 


144 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


She now frequently visited the church-yard to sit by her 
fatner’s grave, which was built by the side of the cross-stone 
where she and Ned had last parted. This she had tended 
with care, as had been proposed by Ned when they last sat 
together and read the mysterious epitaph, “A lady un- 
known, aged about twenty-two. Cast up by the sea at 
Sandy Cove.” 

Polly Grey had since told her the whole sad story, and 
her suspicions that the poor lady was Ned’s own mother. 
Edith had planted some myrtles around the spot, and with 
her pretty white hands she kept the grass closely clipped ; 
and every Sunday she twined a new wreath and hung it 
upon the cross, for it was on the evening of a Sabbath that 
she had promised Ned to attend to the lonely grave. 


CHAPTER VIII. 



E must now return to Paul Grey, who some months 


’ » since had sailed from Sandy Cove, expecting to re- 
turn after an absence of a few days, but of whom nothing 
had been heard. 

On the evening that he sailed the wind was northerly, 
and the Polly quickly lost sight of the English shore ; by 
daybreak on the following morning they could plainly dis- 
tinguish the coast of France. The Polly now hoisted 
French colors and stood in for Ushant. As the lugger 
neared the land a rowing boat was seen to approach from 
the shore; Paul stood upon the deck, and carefully exam- 
ined the suspicious object with the telescope. 

“ It’s all right,” he at length exclaimed to Dick Stone, 
who stood at the helm ; “ keep your course and meet her : 
it’s Dupuis’s boat.” 

The Polly accordingly held her course, and the spray 
dashed from her bows as with a brisk breeze on the quarter 
she flew gayly over the waves toward the advancing boat, 
that belonged to Paul’s French partner in the contraband 
trade. There had been some slight alteration in the lug- 
ger’s equipment sinc^- we last described her. Around the 
main-mast by the deck was a rack for muskets and board- 
ing-pikes ; an arm-chest, well filled with pistols, muskets, 
and cutlasses, and rendered water-proof by a thick tarpaulin 
cover, was securely lashed and cleated in front of the miz- 
zen mast; while amidships was a long brass six-pounder, 
fitted upon a traversing carriage upon a pivot, which could 


146 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


be trained upon any point of the horizon. There could be 
no doubt that the vessel was arranged for a determined de- 
fense in the event of attack, as the crew consisted of fifteen 
men including Paul. These were carefully selected, and a 
finer set of sailors would rarely be seen ; among them was 
the surly Dick Stone, who had so stubbornly resisted the 
inquiries of Captain Smart on his visit to the lugger. This 
man was an extraordinary character: he was devoted to 
Paul, and to the clipper lugger in which he sailed: \n was 
brave to a fault, and his coolness in the midst of danger 
was remarkable ; he hated the entire nation of Frenchmen, 
whom he termed “ the Mounseers next to them he dis- 
liked the whole race of revenue authorities. For several 
years he had served on board a man-of-war ; but the varied 
occupations of smuggling and fishing, with the dangers at- 
tendant upon such professions, formed an excitement that 
was the charm of his existence. He was seldom seen to 
laugh, neither was he ever in a passion : if any thing dis- 
turbed him he invariably turned to his pipe as his counsel- 
lor and comforter ; a few deep puffs from the ever-present 
companion would either be followed by perfect silence and 
contentment, or by some carefully-considered reply. 

Dick Stone was at the helm, and, as he had been directed 
by Paul, he kept a course that would meet the advancing 
boat. “ Take the tiller for a moment,” said he to a sailor 
who stood by on the farther side ; and without moving 
from his place he took from his pocket a blackened clay 
pipe about three inches long, at the same time he inserted 
a plug of tobacco ; then, striking a light with a flint and 
steel and a piece of burned rag, he gave two or three sharp 
and rapid puffs, that brought a brilliant glow to the mouth 
of the bowl. He then took a long and steady suck at the 
never-failing adviser, until his cheeks became quite hollow 
with the exhaustive effort; this was followed by a dense 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


147 


cloud of smoke, as though from the explosion of a gun. 
He rested for a moment, and took the pipe from his mouth 
as though to give his brain an opportunity of testing the 
effect. Once more it was applied, with a similar result 
as in the first instance ; and as the wind carried the smoke 
to leeward he quietly handed the magic instrument to 
the sailor from whom he now took the helm, and with 
invigorated intelligence he directed his attention to the 
boat. 

“ She’s made the signal,” said Paul, who still observed 
her with the glass. “ She has hoisted the English flag in 
exchange for the French.” 

“ Can you see the Mounseer, Captain Doopwee ?” asked 
Dick. 

“ I can’t swear to him,” replied Paul, “ but there’s some 
one very like him, in a pilot coat, in the stern.” 

“ Perhaps we’d better have the muskets ready,” continued 
Dick, as he again took his pipe from the sailor, and asked 
fresh advice by a vigorous puff. “ Just put a pistol and a 
cutlass on the deck by my side,” said Dick to the sailor 
who had assisted him, as though the tobacco had suggested 
the idea. “ I don’t trust those Mounseers, they’re too pur- 
lite by half; and I can’t see Captain Doopwee.” 

Although Paul had no suspicion of the boat that was 
now rapidly approaching, he saw no objection to Dick’s 
practical advice. 

“ Are those muskets all loaded ?” he asked, as he pointed 
to those in the rack around the main-mast. 

“ Yes,” replied Dick ; “ if a musket ain’t loaded, it’s like 
a pipe without baccy. I loaded those muskets myself early 
this morning, as I don’t trust the Mounseers.” 

“Well,” said Paul to a sailor near him, “unlock the 
arm-chest, and let each man strap on his cutlass and put a 

pistol in his belt ; lay a dozen muskets on the deck, in ad- 
lu 


148 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


dition to those upon the rack, and keep a bright lookout 
as we near the French boat.” 

In about twenty minutes the boat was within a pistol- 
shot of the lugger; Captain Dupuis was not among the 
crew. A man in the bow of the boat now waved a small 
English flag, at the same time he held a letter in his out- 
stretched left hand. The lugger now hauled close up to 
the wind, and lay to, as the boat was allowed to come along- 
side, and the person in command nimbly leaped on board, 
while the boat dropped astern, and was secured by a rope 
to the Polly. 

“ Bon voyage, Monsieur le Capitaine ! ' said the sprightly 
individual who now accosted Paul. “ I have de plaisir to 
introduce to you von lettre of de part de notre ami Mon- 
sieur Dupuis, who makes to you ses compliments, but is 
engaged vith les megrimes, or vith'some seekness detesta- 
ble, dat ties him to his bed. ’ 

With this introduction the dapper little Frenchman pre- 
sented his letter, which Paul immediately read. 

Monsieur Dupuis described that he was unwell, and 
therefore could not meet him in person, but that the bearer 
was a trustworthy agent, who would act as pilot, and guide 
the Polly to a secure hiding-place, where she could disem- 
bark her goods and receive a fresh cargo without fear of 
interruption. After having asked a few questions, w r hich 
were satisfactorily answered, Paul ordered Dick Stone to 
obey the directions of the French pilot ; and the lugger, 
having been allowed to fall off the wind, immediately filled 
her sails, and once more she scudded over the waves with 
the French boat and crew towing astern. 

“Vest-sou’- vest, if you please, mon ami,^ said the polite 
pilot to the imperturbable Dick, “ till I show you von leetle 
port vare no one know.” 

As Dick slightly altered the lugger’s course he took a 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


149 


long puff at his pipe, and emitted a cloud of smoke that for 
a moment obscured the Frenchman, under cover of which he 
muttered, 

“ Too purlite, too purlite by a long chalk, these Mourn 
seers then, as the smoke cleared, he addressed the pilot 
direct. 

“ What's become of Captain Doop wee, Mounseer ?” 

“ Ah, mon cher ami, dat is my deer fren,” replied the 
vivacious Frenchman, “ our fren le Capitaine Dupuis has 
caught a coup d’air, he has taken to him a cold vith mal a 
la tete, vat ve call de 1 megrimes,’ together vith a spasm in 
his ventre, vat you call de intestines.” 

“ What we call the belly-ache,” replied Dick, thought 
fully. “ I never knew a Frenchman without the belly-ache. 
It’s along of their sour wine. But what’s the name of the 
place you’re taking us to ?” continued Dick. 

a Ve go to one charmant petit endroit, von leetle basin 
cache deniere dat high rocher.” 

“ Very likely !” replied Dick, suspiciously ; “ but, Moun- 
seer, what have you got to do with us ? Captain Doo- 
pwee’s the mounseer that I want to see.” 

“ Ha, ha, ha !” laughed the Frenchman. “ Patience, pa- 
tience, mon cher, vait von leetle half hour, nous verrons 
Monsr. Dupuis tout a l’heure — all in de hour. You under- 
stand ?” 

“ Too purlite, too purlite to be honest,” muttered Dick 
Stone, as he mechanically obeyed the directions of the 
French pilot. In the mean time the lugger rapidly ap- 
proached the bluff headland, behind which lay the secure 
harbor described. It was in vain that Paul scanned the 
rocky coast with his glass; no sign of a dwelling could be 
seen ; all appeared dangerous and desolate in the extreme. 
They now neared the high cliffs of a long projecting head- 
land. 


150 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


“ Give to me de helm, mon ami, dis is one vary bad 
place,” said the pilot, as the Folly just passed a sunken 
rock, over which the surf broke in curling foam ; and tak- 
ing the tiller from the unwilling Dick, he now steered along 
the coast direct for the rocky headland, which rose abrupt- 
ly from the water to the height of about two hundred feet. 

In a few minutes the lugger neared the point. The 
breeze was brisk, and the spray dashed high upon the face 
of the cliffs as the heavy waves of the Atlantic burst 
against the rocks ; but the pilot evidently knew the coast, 
and steering within a hundred paces of the rocky point, he 
suddenly rounded the headland, and turning sharp he ran 
before the wind direct into a long and narrow bay. A 
lofty rocky island presently lay before them ; the Folly 
flew along in the calm harbor, and suddenly rounding the 
island she passed within fifty paces of a large vessel that 
had been concealed by the high cliff ; at the same instant 
the pilot brought the lugger sharp up to the wind, and she 
lay helpless under the guns of a French eighteen-gun cor- 
vette. All this had happened so quickly and unexpectedly 
that the trap was first discovered when they were fairly 
caught. As the Folly had rounded the rocky island, and 
the corvette first burst upon their view, a cloud of smoke 
had puffed from Dick’s pipe; but now that the fatal truth 
flashed upon them as the lugger lay motionless, with her 
sails flapping in the wind, he quietly took his pipe from his 
mouth, shook the last remnants of tobacco-ashes from the 
bowl, and muttering, “ Too purlite by a long chalk, these 
Mounseers,” he suddenly seized the little French pilot by 
the collar, and catching one leg with his left hand he swung 
him overboard as though he had been a child. Hardly had 
he splashed into the deep water than the French boat, that 
had cast off the rope astern, pulled to his assistance, and 
hoisted the polite pilot on board like a drowned cat. In 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


151 


the mean time a boat full of armed men approached them 
from the corvette, that was only a few yards distant. 
There was no chance of escape. They were fairly caught 
by a well-planned trap, devised by the treacherous Captain 
Dupuis, who owed Paul a considerable sum of money, and 
who thus intended to avoid the debt, at the same time to 
gain the prize, by consigning Paul to a French prison. 

“The Mounseers sha’n’t take my pipe without a fight 
for it, I know,” said Dick, as a number of Frenchmen sud' 
denly boarded the lugger. As he said this he replaced his 
trusty ally within his pocket, and picking up the cutlass 
and pistol from the deck he advanced a pace in front of the 
helm in an attitude of defense. “ Come on, Mounseers ! 
Komprenney, where’s Captain Doopwee? I’ll cure his 
miggrims, the purlite varmint.” 

Dick Stone was perfectly ready to fight either one or all, 
but Paul, who had at once perceived the trap into which 
they had fallen, and the utter impossibility of resistance, 
immediately gave the order that all men should lay down 
their arms, as several of the most desperate had followed 
Dick’s example, and had already drawn their cutlasses. 

A French officer now approached Paul, and formally an- 
nounced that the Polly was the prize of the corvette ; at 
the same time he assured him that both he and the crew 
would be well treated. Without further delay they were 
ordered to pack up their clothes, and to go ashore in cus- 
tody of a guard of marines. 

In an hour after the arrival of the Polly in the deceitful 
port Paul and his entire crew were marched through the 
streets of a French village, and were drawn up opposite the 
prison entrance. 

It was a curious old building, in the Norman style of 
architecture, with tall conical towers of great height, in 
which were numerous small grated windows ; a heavy iron 


152 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


gate closed the entrance to a gloomy court-yard, and a large 
crowd of people thronged the approach to this uninviting 
spot to see English prisoners led in triumph to the jail. 

Upon their arrival at the gate they were met by the 
governor and the principal jailer, who received them form- 
ally, and entered their names upon the prison books ; after 
which a receipt was given to the officer in command of the 
escort, and they were allotted to various cells in separate 
parties. Paul, as their captain, was placed in a superior 
apartment, together with Dick Stone, whom he had request- 
ed might be permitted to accompany him. 

As the door of the prison had closed upon their admit- 
tance to the court-yard Paul had noticed a remarkably pret- 
ty girl of about eighteen who had fixed her eyes upon him 
with extreme earnestness. As he was now led with Dick 
Stone to the room that they were to occupy he observed 
that she accompanied the jailer, and appeared to observ' 
him with great interest. Taking from his pocket a guinea 
that was pierced with a hole he slipped it into her hand, at 
the same time laughingly he told her in a few words of 
broken French to suspend it as a charm around her neck 
to preserve her from every thing English. 

Instead of receiving it with pleasure, as he had expected, 
she simply looked at it with curiosity for an instant, and 
then, keeping it in her hand, she asked in her native tongue 
with intense feeling, “ A tu vue Victor ? mon cher frere 
Victor, prisonnier en Angleterre ?” 

“ Silly girl,” said the jailer her father, “ England is a 
large place, and there are too many French prisoners to 
make it likely that Victor should be known at the same 
time the feelings of the father yielded to a vague hope as 
he looked inquiringly at Paul. 

“ There are many fine fellows,” answered Paul, “who 
have had the misfortune to become prisoners of war, but 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


153 


they are all cared for, and receive every attention in En- 
gland. When was your brother taken ?” he asked, as he 
turned to the handsome dark-eyed girl who had just ques- 
tioned him. 

“ A year ago next Christmas,” she replied ; “ and we 
have only once heard from him ; he was then at a place 
called Falmouth, but we do not know where that is.” 

“ Falmouth !” said Paul ; “ why, I know the place well; 
with a fair wind the Polly would make it in a few hours 
from the spot where I live. Your brother thends imprison- 
ed only half a day’s sail from my house !” 

“ Oh ! what good-fortune, mon Dieu !” exclaimed the 
excited girl, as she clasped her hands in delight, as though 
the hour of her brother’s deliverance was at hand. “ How 
can we reach him ? surely you can help us ?” 

“ Alas ! I am also a prisoner,” replied Paul. “ At this 
moment my wife is sorrowing alone in our cottage on the 
cliff, and she is looking vainly upon the sea expecting my 
return. How can I help you ? Believe me, if it were pos- 
sible, I would.” At the recollection of Polly’s situation 
Paul hastily brushed a tear from his eye with the back of 
his rough hand, which instantly awoke the sympathy of the 
sensitive girl before him. 

“ Ha ! you are married,” she exclaimed. “ Is she young, 
and perhaps beautiful ?” 

“Young enough for me, and handsomer than most 
women,” replied Paul. 

At this moment Dick Stone had lighted his pipe, and as 
he gave two or three tremendous puffs he screwed his face 
into a profoundly serio-comic expression and winked his 
right eye mysteriously at Paul. 

“I know the young man,” said Dick, who now joined in 
the conversation, and addressed the jailer whom he had 
been scrutinizing closely ; “ I saw him once at the prison in 


154 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


Falmouth. Rather tall?” said Dick, as he surveyed the 
six-foot form of the jailer. 

“ Yes,” said the jailer, eagerly, “ as tall as I am.” 

“ Black hair ?” continued the impassive Dick, as he cast 
his eyes upon the raven locks of both father and daugh- 
ter. 

“Yes, as dark as mine,” exclaimed the now excited 
jailer. 

“ Roman nose ?” said Dick, as he looked at the decided 
form of the parent’s feature that was shared by the hand- 
some girl. 

“ Precisely so, well arched,” replied the father. 

“ Had not lost an arm ?” said Dick. 

“No, he had both his arms,” said the jailer. 

“ And his name,” said Dick, “ was Victor ?” 

“ Victor Diore !” exclaimed the jailer’s daughter. 

“ Victor Diarrhoea ! Precisely so — that’s the man,” re- 
plied the stoical Dick Stone ; “ that’s the man. I know’d 
him soon after he was captured ; and I believe he’s now in 
Falmouth jail. I’d almost forgot his name, for you Moun- 
seers are so badly christened that I can’t remember how 
you’re called.” 

The jailer and his daughter were much affected at this 
sudden intelligence ; there could be no doubt that their new 
prisoner had seen their lost relative, who appeared to be 
imprisoned not far from Paul’s residence, and their hearts 
at once warmed toward both the captives. 

They were led into a large but rather dark room, scanti- 
ly furnished with two trestle-beds, a table, and a couple of 
benches. 

“We must talk of this again,” said Paul to the jailer’s 
daughter ; “ perhaps an exchange of prisoners may be ar- 
ranged at some future time that may serve us all.” 

“Yes,” added Dick Stone, “I think we can manage it 


CAST UP EY THE SEA. 


155 


if we’re all true friends ; and may I ask your name, my 
dear? for you’re the prettiest Mounseer that I’ve ever set 
eyes on.” 

“ Leontine,” replied the girl. 

“Well, Leonteen,” continued Dick, “if you’ll come and 
have a chat sometimes up in this cold-looking room I dare 
say we’ll be able to hit off some plan that’ll make us all 
agreeable. I’ve got a secret to tell you yet, but I don’t 
want to let it out before the old ’un,” said Dick, mysteri- 
ously, as he winked his eye at her in masonic style ; then, 
putting his lips very close to her pretty ear, he whispered, 
“ I can tell you how to get your brother out of prison : but 
you must keep it close” 

The door had hardly closed upon the jailer and his 
daughter, who had promised to return with breakfast, than 
Paul turned quickly toward Dick Stone and exclaimed, 
“ What do you mean, Dick, by such a romance as you. 
have just composed? Surely all is false; you never met 
the French prisoner at Falmouth ?” 

“ Well,” replied Dick, “may be I didn’t; but perhaps I 
did; who knows? You see, captain, all’s fair in love or 
war, and it struck me that it’s as well to make friends as 
enemies ; now you see we’ve made friends all at once by a 
little romance. You see the Mounseers are very purlite 
people, and so it’s better to be purlite when you’re in France. 
You see the pretty little French girl says her brother’s in 
jail in Falmouth; well, I’ve seen a lot of French prisoners 
in Falmouth with black hair, and two arms apiece, and a 
Roman nose ; so very likely I’ve seen her brother. Well, 
you see, if we can make friends with the jailer, we may 
p’raps get th q key of the jail! At all events, it ain’t a bad 
beginning to make friends with the jailer’s daughter before 
we’ve had our first breakfast in the French prison.” 

As Dick Stone finished speaking he looked out of the 


156 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


narrow grated window that in the thick stone wall appeared 
as though it had been intended for musketry; from this 
aperture he had a beautiful view of the bay and the French 
corvette, near to which the unfortunate Polly was now ly- 
ing at anchor with the French colors flying at the mizen. 

“Well, that’s a bad lookout, I must say,” said Dick. 
u Look here, captain, there’s the Polly looking as trim and 
as saucy, bless her heart ! as though we were all aboard : 
and there’s the ugly French flag flying, and she don’t seem 
to care more about it than a woman with new ribbons in 
her bonnet.” 

Paul looked at his beautiful lugger with bitter feelings. 
He had sailed in her for many years, and she had become 
like a member of his family. Although fifteen years old, 
she had been built of such well-seasoned timber, and had 
been kept in such excellent repair, that she was better than 
most vessels of half her age, and he sighed as he now saw 
her at anchor with the French flag fluttering at her mast- 
head. For a long time he gazed intently upon her without 
speaking a word ; at length he turned sharply round, and 
in a quick, determined voice, he said, “ Dick, I’ll never live 
to see the Polly disgraced. If you’ll stick by me, Dick, 
we’ll retake her yet, or die !” 

For some moments Dick Stone stared Paul carelessly in 
the face without a reply ; he then tapped the bowl of his emp- 
ty pipe upon the prison-wall, and carefully refilling it with to- 
bacco, he once more lighted it, and puffed for about a min- 
ute in perfect silence ; he then spoke, after emitting a dense 
volume of smoke. 

“If I’ll stick to you, captain ? well, p’raps I never have ? 
and p’raps Dick Stone’s a coward? Well, you see, of 
course I’ll stick to yer; but there’s other things to be 
thought of. What’s your plan, captain ? It’s of no use do- 
ing any thing without thinking well first. Now if you’ll tell 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


1 61 


me what you mean I’ll have a little smoke, just half a pipe, 
and I’ll tell you my opinion.” 

“ My plans are not absolutely defined,” said Paul, “ but I 
think that by making friends with the jailer’s daughter we 
may induce her to risk much in the endeavor to rescue her 
brother. We might prevail upon her to assist in our escape 
— she might even accompany us to England. Could we 
only free ourselves from these prison-walls on a dark night, 
when the wind blows strong from the south, why should 
we not surprise the French crew, and carry off the Polly ? 
Once at sea, there is nothing that could touch her ! Paul’s 
eyes glistened as he spoke, and the muscles stood out from 
his brawny arm as he clenched his fist, and added, “If I 
could only once lay hold of Dupuis’s throat, and save the 
Polly , I ask no greater fortune !” 

Puff, puff, puff, came in rapid succession from Dick’s 
pipe at these words ; at last, the long exhaustive suck ar- 
rived in its turn, and the usual cloud of smoke enveloped 
his head, which always exhilarated his brain. 

“ Well, captain, d’ye see,” replied Dick, “ I’ll stick to 
you in any thing, and there’s no doubt that there’s a chance 
of success if the pretty little Mounseer will only help us. 
But you see, from what I know of womankind, they’re very 
fond and very purlite for their brothers, but they won’t run 
much risk for ’em. Now if they’re in love they’re as good 
as bull-dogs ; and so I think it’s a pity as how you told her 
that you’d got a wife a looking out for you at home ! If 
you’d have told her that you were a single man, and p’raps 
given her a kiss when you gave her the lucky guinea, we 
might have got a little love to help us, and then we’d have 
had a better chance, as she’d have gone off with us all of a 
heap.” 

“Dick, you have no conscience ,” replied Paul; “you 
surely would not deceive the girl in such a heartless man- 


158 


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ner ? No !” continued Paul, “I have told her the truth, and 
if she can help us I’ll do my best to save her brother ; but, 
on the other hand, why should not you, Dick, make yourself 
agreeable to her? You’re not a bad-looking fellow, why 
should not you do the love-making?” 

Dick made no reply, but thoughtfully puffed at his pipe ; 
then laying down his smoking counselor upon the window- 
sill he thrust his right hand into a deep breeches pocket, 
and extracted a black horn pocket-comb, with which lie be- 
gan at once most carefully to arrange his hair. 

Despite the loss of the Polly and the misery of his situ- 
ation Paul burst out laughing as he witnessed Dick’s cool 
determination to prepare for love-making. 

“ I don’t know how these Mounseers begin,” said the 
methodical Dick ; “ they’re a very purlite people, and so 
they mayn’t like our customs. In England we take ’em 
round the waist with both arms, and give ’em a kiss ; but 
p’raps it’s better not to begin all at once. I’ll just ask her 
to sit on my knee at first, so as not to frighten her.” 

“ Better not, Dick,” said Paul, laughing ; “ I’m afraid she 
wouldn’t understand your modesty. Only make yourself 
agreeable, but don’t touch her, and let time do the rest.” 

They were interrupted in their conversation by the turn- 
ing of the creaking door-lock, and the jailor and his daugh- 
ter entered with a loaf of black bread and two jars of wa- 
ter and of milk, which they placed upon the table. Leon- 
tine had already strung the guinea upon a cord, which was 
now suspended from her neck. 

“ Ha ! that looks very well !” said Paul ; “ few French 
girls wear the English king’s image round their necks.” 

“I know an Englishman who wears a French girl’s pic- 
ture in his heart,” said Dick, who with a sly wink at Paul 
as a preface thus made his first bold advance. 

“A what ?” inquired Leontine. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


159 


“A poor devil,” replied Dick, “who doesn’t care how 
long he’s shut up in a French prison with such a pretty Ut- 
ile Mounseer for a jailer” 

“ Ha, ha ! you English know how to pay compliments,” 
answered Leontine, who knew just sufficient English to un- 
derstand Dick’s attempt at French. 

“Yes, we’re considered a very purlite people,” replied 
Dick, “ and we have a purlite custom when we goes to pris 
on of shaking hands with the jailer and kissing the hand of 
his pretty daughter.” As Dick said these words he first 
grasped the hand of the jailer, and then raised to his lips, 
redolent of tobacco, the pretty hand of Leontine ; at the 
same time he whispered to her, “ Don’t forget that I have 
a secret.” 

Far from being disconcerted at Dick's politeness, Leon- 
tine naively remarked : “You can’t tell a secret before three 
persons ; but we shall have plenty of opportunities, for you 
may pay us a longer visit than may be agreeable.” 

Dick in reply to this remark suddenly assumed one of 
his most mysterious expressions, and winking one eye at 
Leontine, he placed his forefinger upon his lips as though 
to enjoin silence, and whispered in her ear: “ Make an op- 
portunity : the secret’s about your brother.” 


CHAPTER IX. 


\ /T ORE than two months had passed wearily in the French 
-k™-*- prison, during which both Paul and Dick Stone had 
been buoyed up in inaction by the hope of carrying into ex- 
ecution a plan for their escape. The only view from the 
prison-windows was the sea, and the street and beach in the 
fore-ground. The Polly still lay at anchor in the same spot, 
as some difficulty had arisen between Captain Dupuis and 
the captain of the corvette that had to be settled in the law 
courts. 

In the mean time both Paul and Dick Stone had not only 
become great friends of the jailer, Jean Diore, and his 
daughter, but Dick had quickly found an opportunity to 
disclose his secret, which succeeded in winning the heart of 
the enterprising Leontine. Dick had made a declaration of 
love, and to prove his sincerity he proposed that he should 
conduct her direct to her brother in the English prison, 
whose release should be effected by an exchange ; and he 
had persuaded her that, if she should aid in the escape of 
Paul and the entire crew of the Polly , there would be no 
difficulty in obtaining her brother’s release when the facts 
should become known to the English authorities. Paul had 
added his persuasions to those of Dick Stone ; he had ex- 
cited the sister’s warmest feelings by painting the joy she 
would feel in rescuing her brother from a miserable exist- 
ence, and he had gained her sympathy by a description of 
the misery and suspense that his own wife must be suf- 
fering in her ignorance of all that had befallen him. Leon 


OAST UP B ST THE SEA. 


161 


tine was won. She was brave as a lion, and, hei determinac 
tion once formed, she was prepared to act without flinching. 

Many times Dick Stone had lighted his pipe, and puff- 
ed and considered as he took counsel with Paul on the plan 
that the latter had proposed ; all was agreed upon. 

Paul had thus arranged the attempt at escape. All was 
to be in readiness for the first gale that should blow from 
either west or south. Leontine had provided him with a 
couple of large files and a small crowbar about two feet 
long, which she had purchased in the village with money 
supplied by Paul ; these she had introduced to his room by 
secreting them beneath her clothes. 

At various times she had purchased large supplies of 
strong twine in skeins, which to avoid suspicion she had 
described as required for making nets ; these she had also 
introduced daily, until sufficient had been collected for the 
manufacture of ropes, at which both Paul and Dick Stone 
worked incessantly during the night, and concealed them in 
the daytime within their mattresses, by cutting a hole be- 
neath. Whenever the time should arrive it had been ar- 
ranged that Leontine was to procure the keys of the cells 
in which the crew of the Polly were confined, and she was 
to convey the prisoners at night into the apartment occu- 
pied by Paul and Dick, whence they were to descend from 
the window by a rope into the fosse that surrounded the 
prison ; fortunately, this ditch was dry, and Leontine was to 
fix a stake into the ground above the fosse, from which she 
was to suspend a knotted rope after dark, to enable the pris- 
oners to ascend upon the opposite side. 

The great difficulty would be in avoiding the sentry, who 
was always on guard within fifty paces of the spot -where 
they would be forced to descend, and whence they must 
afterward ascend from the ditch. The affair was to be left 
entirely in the hands of Leontine, who assured Paul and 


162 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


Dick that she would manage the sentry if they would bo 
ready at the right moment to assist her. When freed from 
the prison, they were to make a rush to the beach, seize the 
first boat, of which many were always at hand, and board 
and capture the Polly; once on board the trusty lugger, in 
a westerly or southerly gale, and Paul knew that nothing 
could overtake her. 

Such was the plan agreed upon, and every thing had been 
carefully prepared and in readiness for some days, but the 
favorable weather had not yet arrived. Daily and hourly 
Paul looked from the grated windows upon his beloved 
Polly , which lay still at anchor idle in the bay, about fifty 
yards from the French corvette. 

At length, as one early morning he as usual looked out 
from his prison, he saw a boat pulling from the shore, fol- 
lowed quickly by several others conveying cargo, and steer- 
ing for the Polly; the bustle upon the deck, and the refit- 
ting of ropes and rigging, plainly discernible from the pris- 
on-window, left no doubt upon Paul’s mind that the Polly 
was about to leave the harbor, and perhaps be lost to him 
forever. 

At this painful sight Dick lighted his pipe, and smoked 
with violence until the tobacco was half consumed, when sud- 
denly, in a fit of excitement that was quite unusual, he hasti- 
ly put his adviser in his pocket, and seizing a file from bo- 
neath his mattress he immediately commenced work upon 
the bottom of an iron bar that protected the narrow win- 
dow. 

“ That’s right, Dick,” said Paul ; “ now or never ! The 
clouds are hurrying up from the sou’-west, and I think it’s 
coming on to blow ; as old Mother Lee says, ‘ Luck comes 
from the sou’-west ;’ so bear a hand, and give me the file 
when you get tired.” 

As Paul had observed, the scud was flying rapidly across 


CAST UP BY THE SEA- 


163 


the sky from the right quarter, and both men worked hard 
alternately, and in an hour they had divided the thick iron 
bar close to the base. 

“Now for the top,” said Dick. “We’ll soon cut it 
through, although it’s harder work, as we can’t put our 
weight to the file.” 

“Never mind the file,” said Paul, who now grasped the 
severed bar in his iron hands; “with such a purchase I 
could wrench the bar asunder. Something shall give way,” 
he said, as with the force of Samson he exerted every 
muscle, and wrenched the bar from its loosened base. The 
stone in which it was fixed first crumbled at the joint, and 
then suddenly cracking, Paul fell sprawling on his back with 
the bar in his hands, while a heavy fragment of stone fell 
upon the floor. 

“Take care, captain,” said Dick; “ gently with the stones. 
We shall alarm the jailer if we make so much noise. Why, 
you’ve settled the job in one pull !” 

“ Here, Dick,” continued Paul, as he sprang from the 
floor, “ take the bar while I move a stone from the side with 
the crow. We won’t take it right out lest the jailer should 
notice it if he comes with the breakfast ; but we’ll loosen it 
so that we can remove it quickly when necessary, as the 
window is too narrow for our shoulders.” 

Paul then inserted the thin edge of the crowbar, and by 
gently working it backward and forward he removed the 
stones and enlarged the aperture sufficiently to admit the 
passage of a man ; he then replaced the stones, together 
with the bar, and so arranged the window that no one would 
have observed any disturbance unless by a close inspection. 
Hardly had they completed their work when footsteps were 
heard without, succeeded by the turning of the key in the 
creaking lock of their door. In an instant Dick, who had 
lighted his pipe, leaned upon the window-sill and looked 
11 


16 * 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


steadfastly out of the window, at the same time he puffed 
such dense clouds of smoke as would have effectually screen- 
ed any damage that had been done by the work of the crow- 
bar. 

The door opened, and fortunately Leontine appeared in* 
3tead of her father. She brought the breakfast. 

“ Quick !” she exclaimed, “ there is no time to lose. The 
wind has changed, and people say we shall have a gale from 
the sou’-west. The Polly is to sail to-morrow. Captain 
Dupuis has loaded her, and he will himself depart in the 
morning should the wind be fair. You must all get ready 
for the work, ’ continued the determined girl, as her large 
eyes flashed with energy. 

“ We have not been idle, my pretty Leontine," said Paul, 
as he exhibited their morning’s work, “ but we now depend 
upon you. It will be quite dark at eight o clock. You 
must have the rope ready secured to this small crowbar, 
driven into the earth on the other side the fosse ; the bar is 
sharp and heavy ; it will make no noise if you can manage 
to strike it into the ground in exactly the same spot three 
or four times, and simply hang this loop upon it, pressed 
dose down to the base.’’ At the same time he gave hei 
the bar, and a rope coiled, about twenty feet in length. 
Paul continued, “ you must also be punctual in bringing the 
other prisoners here at half past eight, and tell them to take 
their shoes off and to tie them round their waists. But 
how about the sentry ?” asked Paul. 

“ Don’t be afraid,” said Leontine; “I have already ar- 
ranged every thing this morning. Fortune has favored us ; 
Fran§ois is to be on guard to-night : the guard is relieved 
at eight o’clock, at which time he will come on duty, there- 
fore we have nothing to fear for some hours. I wdll man- 
age Francis ; leave him to me. He is an old lover of mine, 
end I have appointed to meet him to-night.” 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA. 


165 


At this confession, thus boldly made, Dick Stone puffed 
violently at his pipe, and was almost concealed by his own 
smoke, when Leontine continued : 

“ He is a sad fellow, and has given me much trouble, but I 
shall pay him out to-night. Look here, Dick, she continued, 
“ if you are worth having you’ll help me quickly to-night, 
for I shall depend upon you. I have agreed to meet Fran- 
§ois this evening at half past eight, as I have pretended to 
accept his love. To avoid detection (as he will be on guard), 
I am to be disguised as a soldier, and he will send me the 
clothes and arms to-day. I shall keep my appointment, and 
engage him in conversation so closely that he will not hear 
you ; but at the last moment you must be ready to rush 
upon him and secure him, while I endeavor to prevent him 
from giving an alarm. At the same time, 1 continued Le- 
ontine, “ you must promise not to hurt him, for Francois is 
a good fellow, and is very fond of me.” 

“ Only let me get hold of him,” cried Dick Stone. 

“ Will you ?” replied Leontine ; “ then the enterprise 
ceases at the very beginning. You shall not escape unless 
you swear that no harm shall befall Fran§ois.” 

“ Do not be afraid, 1 said Paul ; but he continued, “ it 
mav be a difficult affair if he is a powerful man — what size 
is he ?” 

“ Oh,” replied Leontine, laughing, “ a little fellow, about, 
as big as I am. You could soon manage poor Francis : he 
would be a mere child in the grasp of such a man as your- 
self.” 

“All right,” said Paul, “ then there’s no fear of murder ; 
depend upon me, Leontine, no harm shall touch him.” 

“ Mind you seize the right man,” said the gay Leontine, 
“ when I give the signal, as I shall be in a soldier’s uniform, 
and you may mistake me for Francis. The signal will be, 
‘A friend the instant that I give the word, seize and di* 


166 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


arm him before he can fire his musket. You will then hava 
two muskets, mine and that of Frangois, with which you 
must take your chance in boarding the Polly."' 

“ That will do,” said Paul; “let me only set foot on the 
Polly's deck, and I’ll soon settle accounts with Monsieur 
Dupuis. But now, 1 ’ added Paul, “ we are agreed upon all 
points, and we depend upon you, Leontine ; do not forget 
to visit the beach, and see that the oars and a boat-hook, 
with a sharp axe to cut the cable, are placed in readiness 
within a large boat, to which you must guide us when we 
leave the prison.” 

“ Never fear,” said Leontine; “I shall not fail in my 
part, and I shall give the signal as the clock chimes half 
past eight ; you must be ready on the instant. Here is a 
letter, continued the girl, as the tears 'started to her eyes, 
“ that I have written for my father ; you must leave it on 
the table when you escape, and it will explain all ; he will 
then, perhaps, forgive me when he knows that I risk my 
life for Victor.” Saying which, she left the room and lock- 
ed the door behind her. 

Leontine now hurried her preparations, while the day 
passed wearily away to those who were awaiting the hour 
of their deliverance. 

Paul and Dick Stone counted the hours as the neighbor- 
ing church clock struck heavily on the bell. 

“We shall run to the Cove in twelve hours,” said Paul, 
“ if this breeze lasts ; it’s blowing a gale out at sea, and the 
Polly' 11 fly like a witch on a broomstick.” 

“We’ve got to take her first,” replied the wary Dick. 
“ There’s many a slip ’twixt the cup and the lip !” 

“We are short of weapons, no doubt,” said Paul; “but 
we must take off the sword-bayonets from the muskets, and 
give them to two of the men. I will be first on board, and 
knock down Dupuis. Let the men rush to the main-mast 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


167 


and secure the arms from the rack the moment that they 
reach the deck, while you, Dick, seize the helm. I will tell 
off four men to loose the sails and to cut the cable directly 
that we get on board. This will leave us ten men to do the 
fighting. If all goes well we shall find the better part of 
the French crew down below, and, once in possession of the 
deck, they will be at our mercy. This gale of wind will 
start the Polly like a wild duck the instant that the cable 
is cut, and we shall be round the corner of the island before 
the corvette can bring her guns to bear upon us. Then, 
with a dark night and a heavy gale, the Polly can take care 
of herself.” 

The day at length passed away, and the sun set. The 
wind roared through the narrow streets of the town, and 
whistled loudly around the pointed towers of the old 
prison. 

“ There could not be a better night,” said Paul ; “ the 
wind roars like a lion, and nothing will be heard by the 
sentry.” 

As he was speaking the clock struck eight. As the last 
tones of the bell died away the lock of the door creaked as 
the key turned from the outside ; and presently without a 
sound of footsteps, thirteen strapping fellows, who had been 
liberated by Leontine, softly entered the room, carrying their 
shoes strapped to their belts, as had been directed by Paul. 

No time was lost in useless greeting; but the severed 
bar of the window was at once made use of as a lever to re- 
move the heavy stones, and in less than ten minutes an ap- 
erture was made sufficiently large for an exit. 

Paul now fastened the rope that had been concealed in 
his mattress to the centre of the iron bar ; then, lowering 
the other end from the window until it reached the fosse, 
ne fixed the bar across the base, so that it was secured on 
either side by the masonry. 


168 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


All was now ready, and, lest they should be disturoeci; 
Dick Stone, having received the key from Leontine, locked 
the door on the inside. 

Paul went first. It was with some difficulty that he 
squeezed his broad shoulders through the narrow opening ; 
but once without the wall he nimbly lowered himself to the 
bottom, a depth of about sixty feet. 

In a much shorter time than might be supposed the 
active sailors had succeeded in reaching the bottom of 
the fosse, without having made the slightest noise. The 
wind blew louder than before ; there was no moon, and 
merely a faint light was given at intervals by the stars 
that every now and then peeped from between the driving 
clouds. 

Carefully leading the way, Paul crossed the broad fosse, 
and felt with his hand the opposite wall, against which he 
expected to find the rope that was to have been arranged 
by Leontine. He was followed noiselessly by the crew for 
about twenty yards, when he suddenly halted as he caught 
the dangling rope. 

With extreme care Paul now climbed, hand over hand, 
to the top, having previously whispered to Dick Stone to 
hold the end of the rope, and to ascend when he should give 
a jerk as a signal of safety. 

Arrived at the top, on the soft green turf at the edge of 
the moat, Paul lay flat upon the ground, and listened. He 
could see nothing, therefore he knew that he could not be 
seen ; but he fancied that he could hear a suppressed voice 
in the direction of the sentry. He gave a slight jerk to 
the rope, and presently Dick Stone arrived, and crept to 
Paul’s side, quickly followed by all the others. They all 
remained flat upon the grass, which, being about a foot in 
height, effectually concealed them in the darkness of the 
night. Paul now crept forward upon his hands and knees, 


CAST UP BY TUB SB A. 


169 


followed in the same manner by Dick Stone : the other 
men had received orders to jump up and join them imme- 
diately upon hearing the signal, “ A friend.” 

In a few minutes Paul was within a dozen yards of the 
sentry ; and as he and Dick then lay flat upon the earth 
they could faintly distinguish two figures standing close to- 
gether ; and in intervals between the gusts they could hear 
voices. 

We will return to Leontine. 

She had not failed in any of her arrangements. The un 
suspecting Francis had fallen into her snare, and, delighted 
with the assignation, he had run great risk in the hope of 
securing the love of the charming Leontine. He had bor- 
rowed for her a comrade’s uniform and arms ; and thus ac- 
coutred as a soldier she had met him at the appointed 
hour. They were now standing together by the edge of 
the moat, and Leontine had listened to his warm declara- 
tions of affection. Francis was enraptured ; for more 
than a year he had vainly sought to win her love. As the 
belle of the village, Leontine had many admirers ; a certain 
lieutenant was reported to be a favored suitor ; thus what 
chance was there for a private such as Fran§ois ? True or 
false, the jealous heart of Francois had believed these re- 
ports, and he had yielded to despair. Judge of his trans- 
port when, within the last few hours, he had been led to 
hope ; and now, when he had nearly given her up as lost, he 
almost held her in his arms. Alas ! for military discipline 
when beauty leads the attack ! Francis thought of noth- 
ing but his love. There was a railing by the edge of the 
moat, against which Leontine had rested her musket ; the 
unwary sentry did the same ; and the two weapons leaned 
peacefully side by side, as the soldier, intoxicated by his 
love, suddenly caught her round the waist with both arms 
and pressed his lips to her cheek. At this moment the dull 


170 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


clang of the prison clock struck the half hour. Struggling 
in his embrace, Leontine exclaimed, 

“Oh it I could call ‘ a friend /’ ” 

At the same instant with both her hands she slipped into 
his mouth a wooden instrument called a gag, that was used 
to silence uproarious prisoners. 

The signal, “A friend,” had been given in a loud voice, 
as though in reply to the usual challenge, and before the 
unlucky Francis could relieve himself from the gag he was 
caught from behind in the tremendous grasp of Paul’s arms, 
while Dick Stone, by mistake, rushed upon Leontine ; a 
vigorous smack on the face from her delicate hand immedi- 
ately undeceived him. 

“ Take that musket,” whispered Leontine, quickly, “ and 
come along.” 

At the same time she seized the remaining musket, while 
Paul pinioned the arms of their prisoner with his handker- 
chief, and threatened him with instant death should he re- 
sist. 

No time was lost. Paul threw the sentry over his shoul- 
der as though he had been a lamb, and the whole party hur- 
ried after Leontine, who had led the way to the beach. 

This affair had been managed so dexterously and quietly 
that no sound had been heard except the reply, “ A friend,” 
that was the preconcerted signal of attack ; but upon arrival 
at the beach the rattling of the shingle as the large party 
hurried toward the boat threatened to attract a dangerous 
attention. 

A large number of boats were drawn up upon the beach, 
but Leontine, without a moment’s hesitation, led Paul and 
his party to one that had the oars already arranged ; and 
the powerful crew, seizing it by the bow and the stern, 
ran it along the steep incline and launched it through the 
waves. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


17 1 


Kot a word had been spoken, but there was a sound of 
many feet as the crew jumped into the boat that could not 
be mistaken. Paul laid his struggling burden upon the 
beach, and Leon tine, before she leaped into the boat, whis- 
pered in the captive’s ear : 

“Francis, if you give the alarm I’ll never love you 
again.” With this coquettish adieu she followed Paul and 
Dick Stone, who were the last of the party. 

“ Steer straight for the Polly , and give way, my lads ! 
for there’s no time to lose,” said Paul, who had taken his 
position in the bow of the boat with Dick Stone, both of 
whom were armed with muskets, while two men with sword 
bayonets were ready to follow them. 

" Make a rush on board,” said Paul, “ and knock down 
every body without asking questions ; then seize the arms 
from the rack and chest.” 

The water was deep in the rocky bay, thus the Polly 
was moored to a buoy little more than two hundred yards 
from the shore ; a light was visible on board, and the lan- 
terns of the corvette were also burning about fifty paces 
distant, where she lay moored by stem and stern. 

They now pulled swiftly but silently toward the lugger. 
Paul’s heart bounded with hope, while Dick Stone, as cool 
as ice, but determined upon the event, w'aited for the com- 
mand. They neared the vessel. “ What boat’s that ?” was 
the sudden challenge from the lugger’s deck, as their boat 
came within a couple of oars’ length. u A friend !” shout- 
ed Leontine in French, and almost in the same instant a 
man in the bow of the boat caught hold of the mizzen 
shrouds of the lugger with his boat-hook, and held on. 

Paul seized a rope, and in one bound he was upon the 
lugger’s deck, while Dick Stone followed like his shadow. 
To knock down the first man with a double-handed thrust 
with the barrel of his musket was the work of a moment, 


172 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


at the same instant Dick struck and felled a Frenchman 
who had rushed to the arm-chest. A shot was now fired 
by one of the French crew, and several men made a dash at 
the arm-rack, but Paul was there before them, and with the 
butt end of his musket he struck down the leader of the 
party. At this moment a loud shrill cry of alarm was heard 
from the shore. 

“ Ha, le sacre Fran§ois !” exclaimed Leontine, who had 
in the mean time attached the deserted boat to the lugger’s 
stern. “Ha, le miserable !” she cried ; “ this is a return for 
my love !” 

Two or three shots were now fired by the French crew, 
but without other results than to alarm the ship of war; 
the drum beat to quarters, lights were seen at her ports ; a 
tremendous flash was accompanied by the report of a can- 
non as she fired an alarm-gun; this was quickly answered 
by a shot from a battery above the town. 

The bells of the church and the prison rang wildly as 
shot after shot was. fired from the battery, and the alarm 
spread like wild-fire throughout the port. 

In the mean time, while the fight had been hot upon the 
Polly's decks, Captain Dupuis, who had been asleep when 
the vessel was first boarded, now rushed up from the cabin, 
and meeting Paul he fired a pistol within a few feet of his 
chest ; fortunately, at that moment Paul was in the act of 
raising his musket, and the ball lodged within the tough 
walnut stock ; the next instant the weapon fell with a crash 
upon Dupuis’s skull, who reeled backward, and stumbling 
against the low bulwarks he fell overboard and sank. 

Dick Stone, with his musket in one hand that he had not 
yet discharged, was now standing at the helm. The En- 
glish crew had gained the arms from the rack, and several 
shots were fired as they drove the French toward the bows 
e* the lugger, following them up with the bayonet. Man)? 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


173 


of the French jumped overboard, calling loudly to the man- 
of-war for assistance, and those who were down below were 
already helpless, as the companion-ladder was guarded by 
two armed men. The surprise was complete ; Leon tine had 
hauled her boat alongside, and had climbed on board; the 
cable was cut, and the sails were let loose ; but the danger 
had increased. The French crew who had jumped over- 
board called to the corvette to fire and sink the lugger. 
This they had hitherto been afraid to do, as their own 
countrymen were on board. A blue light was now burned 
upon the decks of the corvette, and distinctly illumined the 
scene just as the sails of the Polly filled, as her head turn- 
ed from the severed cable, and she met the full force of the 
gale from the shore. In an instant she leaned over, and 
as the water rippled from her bows and the boom was 
slacked off she started like a wild duck frightened from 
its nest. 

“ Hurrah ! hurrah ! hurrah !” rang three hearty British 
cheers as the clipper lugger glided rapidly through the dark 
water and passed the terrible broadside of the ccrvette 
within fifty or sixty yards. But hardly had the Polly clear- 
ed the deadly row of guns, when, a flash ! and the shock 
seemed to sweep her deck as the dense smoke rolled across 
her in the midst of the roar of a twenty-four pounder fired 
from the last gun of the tier. 

A terrible crash almost immediately followed the shot, 
and the painter or rope that attaches the boat to the stern 
of the lugger suddenly dangled loosely in the water, as the 
shot had dashed the boat to atoms ; fortunately the Polly 
had just passed the fatal line of fire. Another wild “hur- 
rah !” replied to the unsuccessful gun, as the lugger, released 
from the boat’s weight, seemed to fly still quicker through 
the water. 

“ Take the helm for a moment,” said Dick to a sailor by 


174 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


his side, and running amidships he called upon Paul, “ Give 
a hand, captain, and we’ll get the Long Tom round.” 

In an instant Paul put his powerful shoulder to the long 
six-pounder that worked on a pivot, and together with joint 
exertions they trained the gun upon the stern windows of 
the corvette. Dick Stone had just beforehand lighted his 
pipe when standing at the helm, and as the long gun bore 
upon its object he suddenly pushed Paul upon one side, and 
emptied his fiery bowl upon the touch-hole. Bang ! went 
the gun, as the six-pound shot crashed through the cabin 
windows of the corvette, and through the various bulk- 
heads, raking her from stem to stern. 

“ Hurrah !” again shouted the crew, who like true British 
sailors were ready for any fight without reckoning the odds 
when the cannon once began to speak, while Paul and sev- 
eral men sponged and reloaded the long gun, as the corvette 
had lowered several boats to give chase. 

' Hurrah for the saucy Polly /” shouted Paul, as he and 
Dick now trained the gun upon the leading boat; but at 
that moment they turned the sharp headland of the rooky 
island, and both the corvette and her boats were obscured 
from their view. 

It was blowing hard, but the water in the bay was per- 
fectly smooth, as the wind was directly off the shore, and 
the Polly flew like a racehorse toward the open sea. In a 
few minutes she passed the last headland, and rushed at 
foaming speed over the long swell of the Atlantic. With 
the gale fairly on her quarter, there was nothing that could 
touch the Polly. There was no fear of a chase, although 
the heavy booming of the alarm-guns could still be heard 
in the distance. 

Three Frenchmen had been killed in the fight, and their 
bodies, which now lay on deck, were thrown overboard ; 
two were prisoners down below ; the remainder of the crew 


CAST VP BY THE SEA . 


175 


had escaped by jumping overboard, with the exception of 
the treacherous Captain Dupuis, who had sunk when knock- 
ed down by Paul. 

Dick Stone was now at the helm; his pipe was well 
alight; and could his features have been distinguished in 
the dark they would be seen to wear an unusually cheerful 
expression as he said to Paul, “ It wouldn’t have been pur- 
lite of us to leave the Mounseers without a salute, and with- 
out my pipe we couldn’t have fired the gun. It’s a won- 
derful thing is a pipe ! Ain’t it, captain ?” 

“ Nor’-nor’-east is the course, Dick,” replied Paul, who 
was at that moment thinking of his wife, and the happiness 
it would be to meet her on the following day ; at the same 
time he was anxious lest any misfortune should have oc- 
curred during his long absence. 

“ Nor’-nor’-east it is, captain,” replied Dick with a sail- 
or’s promptitude ; “ but I can’t help larfing when I think of 
Captain Doopwee, who has put a cargo on board the Polly 
all for nothing, and has got knocked on the head into the 
bargain. Well, sarve him right, sarve him right,” continued 
Dick, musingly ; “ he was a very purlite varmint, too pur- 
lite to be honest, by a long chalk.” After this curt bio- 
graphical memoir of the late Captain Dupuis, Dick Stone 
applied himself to his pipe, and kept the Polly's course 
TST.N.E. 

While Paul and Dick Stone were upon deck Leontine 
was lying upon a cot within the cabin. The excitement of 
the day had nearly worn her out, and despite the uneasy 
movement of the vessel, which tried her more severely than 
any danger, she fell asleep in the uniform of a private in 
the French chasseurs, and she dreamed happily that hei 
brother Victor was released. 


CHAPTER X. 


A T daybreak on the following morning the gale, that had 
moderated during the last hour, suddenly changed its 
quarter, and chopping round it blew directly from the north. 
The lugger had run at such speed throughout the night 
that the high cliffs of Cornwall were now distinctly visible ; 
and Paul, who had not yet slept, felt the bitterness of dis- 
appointment as the head wind now checked their way, and 
the Polly , instead of rushing swiftly toward home, was 
forced to tack. Dick Stone had steered so carefully that 
he had exactly made the right point, and shortly after sun- 
rise Paul’s heart beat doubly quick as he descried with the 
teljescope a speck in the distance which he knew to be his 
white cottage on the cliff. The time went wearily as the 
lugger, close-hauled to the wind, made each successive tack, 
but the cottage grew larger as they gradually approached, 
and Paul fancied that perhaps his wife might by this time 
have descried the well-known Polly , and that she would be 
waiting to receive him with joy upon his arrival. 

“ I’ll tell you what, captain,” exclaimed Dick Stone, 
suddenly, “ we musn’t forget the cargo ; if we can run it 
through it will be a pretty haul, but we must keep a sharp 
lookout for the revenue cruisers now we are getting near 
the coast. Wouldn’t it be safer to stand off a little and 
wait till dark ?” 

Paul’s heart yearned for home, and instead of adopting 
this cool advice ha determined to press on for another hour 
against the head wind, until they should be within an easy 
distance of the coast, when they would be able to run in 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


177 


and land the cargo after sunset. Accordingly they stood 
on the same tack : and as the lugger worked well to wind- 
ward, they gradually neared the shore. 

Paul’s eyes were riveted upon his cottage on the cliff, 
and he vainly endeavored with the telescope to descry some 
figure on the terrace that might resemble the form of Polly 
Grey. He could not distinguish more than the dwelling: 
even the terrace-wall was invisible in the distance. He now 
swept the line of coast carefully with his glass, and present- 
ly he fixed upon some object with peculiar attention. 

“ What do you see, captain ?” inquired Dick, who had 
his suspicions. 

“A cutter bearing down upon us in full sail, with a 
spanking breeze from the shore,” replied Paul, thoughtfully, 
as he lowered his glass. 

“ Then we may make up our minds for another night at 
sea,” said Dick. “ That’s a revenue cruiser, I’ll be bound ; 
and if the wind is fair for her, it’ll be fair for us when we 
’bout ship, and the Polly shows them her legs.” 

“ Take the glass, Dick, and try to make her out, while I 
take the helm,” said Paul ; saying which, he handed the 
glass to Dick Stone. 

For about a minute Dick peered steadily through the 
glass ; he then slowly lowered it, and returning the instru- 
ment to Paul, he said : 

“ They are steering so as to reach us on our next tack, 
so we’d better not come upon it, I’m thinking. There’s no 
doubt about her ; she’s a revenue cutter, so the less the 
Polly sees of her the better. We’d better wear, captain, 
and We’ll run out of sight in an hour : nothing can touch 
the lugger going free.” 

Paul was quite of this opinion, and he decided immedi- 
ately to alter the course, and run S.W. with the wind on 
the quarter. He thus hoped to lose sight of the cutter, and 


178 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


should the wind change he would be able to return, and run 
into Sandy Cove during the night. In an instant the order 
was obeyed, and the Polly , that had been thrashing the 
crest of the waves as she had been pressed close to the 
wind, now bounded forward like a greyhound slipped from 
:he leash. In less than an hour the coast of Cornwall had 
lisappeared, neither could a trace be discovered of the 
revenue cutter; nevertheless Paul thought it advisable to 
continue on the same course, as the cutter might be still in 
chase. Accordingly the Polly was kept running toward 
the S.W. until about three o'clock p.m. At this time the 
wind slackened, and then came in puffs from various direc- 
tions ; the sails constantly flapped, and in expectation of a 
change Paul determined to lie to. The Polly now rode 
easily with her sails trimmed, so as to keep her head to the 
sea. 

She had been lying for about half an hour in this posi- 
tion, awaiting a change of wind that would enable her to 
turn to the north, and perhaps reach Sandy Cove during 
the night, when a vessel was observed in the distance with 
a fair breeze from the south-west; she was coming along 
at a rapid pace, and had the advantage of the approaching 
south-west wind, that had not yet reached the Polly . She 
was quickly made out to be a schooner of about a hundred 
and forty tons, and she neared the Polly to within a mile 
before the latter vessel felt the breeze. 

“ That’s a nice-looking schooner,” said Paul, “ and she 
has the union-jack at the peak ; what kind of a craft can 
she be ?” 

“ Well,” said Dick, “ she’s a pretty, smart-looking thing 
as ever I saw; painted all black; raking masts; and the 
biggest main-sail for her size that ever I set eyes on. She 
ain’t a revenue cruiser, anyhow ; and she ain’t a man-of-war ; 
and she looks too trim for a merchantman : I’m bio wed if 1 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


179 


know what she is,” said Dick, as he gave the helm to a 
sailor and lighted his pipe, while he kept his eyes fixed on 
her. 

“ I can’t see a man on board,” said Paul, who had been 
watching the fast approaching ship with the telescope ; 
“ but get the decks cleared, and have some cartridges ready 
for the Long Tom, and a match lighted; we may just as 
well be prepared. Call the men on deck, and let all be 
ready for action in case of necessity.” 

Dick left the helm to a sailor, and in ten minutes’ time 
the entire crew of the Polly were on deck ; the long gun 
was already loaded, end many rounds of ammunition were 
stowed in readiness in a large chest. The men were at 
their places around the gun, while the remaining portion of 
the crew were thoroughly armed. Paul had stuck a brace 
of pistols in his belt, while a well-sharpened cutlass lay near 
at hand. The breeze now reached the Polly in its full 
strength, but the suspicious schooner was within half a 
mile, and was sailing at a rate that would test the best 
powers of the lugger. 

“I don’t like the look of her,’’ said Paul. “We have 
the breeze now, and we may as well let the Polly take care 
of herself.” 

In an instant the lugger came round to the wind, and in 
a few moments she was hurrying along at full speed toward 
the English coast, with the British flag at the mizzen. 
Hardly had the Polly altered her course than the union- 
jack on board the schooner was run down, and the French 
tricolor was seen flying in its place. This change was ef- 
fected with great rapidity, and at the same time a puff of 
dense smoke from her bows was followed by the roar of a 
shot, that flew above the masts of the Polly and plunged 
into the sea some hundred yards ahead. 

“ That’s purliteness !” said Dick Stone ; “ that’s th$ 
12 


180 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


Mounseer’ s way of saying bong joor ! I suspected this all 
along, but the Polly knows a word or two of French as 
well as she does. Suppose we send the Mounseer a mes- 
sage !” 

Paul had already taken his stand by the long gun, which 
he now trained carefully upon the pursuing schooner. 
5< Now, Dick,” said he, “ give the Frenchman a steady shot 
well into the rigging, and try to break a wing.” 

Dick squinted along the gun, and presently, as the Polly 
steadied herself before the wind, he touched the priming 
with the match. The brass gun rang with a loud report. 
All eyes watched eagerly for the effect, as the strong breeze 
cleared the smoke forward ; in about two seconds the top- 
gallant mast of the schooner was seen to fall in two pieces, 
which dangled loosely in the rigging. 

“ Well done, Dick,” said Paul ; “ load away, my lads, and 
ict me try my hand !” 

“ That’s my answer to the Frenchman,” said Dick, who 
now puffed at his pipe. “ Yer see, he very purlitely said in 
French, ‘Bong joor!’ so I says, ‘Very well, I thank you; 
komprenney, Mounseer ?’ ” 

Dick Stone had hardly finished his sentence when a cloud 
of smoke shot from the schooner’s bows as she fired a gun, 
and presently the ball struck the water within a few yards 
of the lugger, and actually dashed the spray over her deck. 

“They have the range now,” said Paul, as he quietly 
aimed the gun with extreme caution, and quickly applied 
the match. A loud hurrah burst from the crew of the Polly 
as the schooner’s foretop-mast suddenly broke off in about 
half its length, and was carried overboard by the force of 
the gale as the shot struck fairly through its centre. 

“ That’s ‘ Bong swore ’ to the Mounseer !” exclaimed 
Dick ; “ we’ll now leave ’em to mend their stick as well as 
their manners.” At this moment another puff of smoke 


CAST UP BY THE SEa 


181 


dashed from the schooner’s bows. The gun was fired al- 
most at the same instant that the foretop-mast came down ; 
and as the French had obtained the exact range by the pre- 
ceding shots, the ball came screaming through the air with 
fatal precision, and striking the mizzen-mast of the Polly 
about ten feet above the deck it cut it off like a carrot, and 
then passed through both the lug sails, and riocchetted 
along the sea. The spanker, together with the sail and a 
portion of the mast, fell overboard, and at once checked the 
Polly's way. 

u Cut all adrift,” said Paul, who at the same moment sev- 
ered several ropes with his cutlass; “we can’t let them 
close. Clear away, my lads !” and his men with great alac- 
rity hauled upon the sail and cut it off the spanker, allow- 
ing the wreck to float astern. 

In the mean time the schooner had likewise cleared her- 
self, and she evidently gained upon the lugger, which severe- 
ly felt the loss of her mizzen-mast. Once more Paul fired 
the long gun, and the shot passed through the schooner’s 
foresail, doing no serious damage. Again the smoke issued 
from the schooner’s bows, which had now decreased her 
distance to about six hundred yards, and luckily the shot 
flew too high, and missed its aim ; but after a running fight 
of about a quarter of an hour, during which the Polly hull- 
ed her adversary twice, there could be no doubt that, unless 
some lucky shot should cripple the schooner’s speed, she 
would shortly succeed in bringing the Polly to close action, 
in which case there would be little chance for the lugger 
against so powerful an enemy as the French privateer of 
six carronades and one long six-pounder bow-chaser. Dur- 
ing this time the brave but helpless IAontine lay in the cab- 
in utterly unable to stand; the misery of sea-sickness had 
quenched a spirit that nothing on land could have subdued. 

There was an expression of stern determination on Paul’s 


182 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


face as he once more fired the gun, and the shot crashed 
into the bows of the schooner, that was now within three 
hundred yards of them. Paul threw off his coat and waist- 
coat, and turning up his shirt-sleeves close to the shoulders 
he exposed a pair of arms with the muscles of Hercules; 
he then clutched his cutlass in his right hand, and whisper- 
ad to Dick Stone, who prepared himself in the same man- 
ner for the struggle. 

Paul turned to his men, and said, in a loud, clear voice : 
“ Now, my lads, the Polly has lost a leg, and it’s no use try- 
ins: to run. Let those who would like to return to a French 
prison lay down their arms at once ; but those who are men 
follow me, and rush on board the schooner as she closes. 
Leave one man at the helm, and fourteen fine fellows like 
yourselves will clear the Frenchman’s decks in five miiuites. 
Three cheers for the Polly and Old England !” 

At these words a loud hurrah rose simultaneously from 
the gallant crew, who at once divested themselves of their 
upper clothing; and with pistols in their belts and sharpen- 
ed cutlasses in their hands, they prepared for the desperate 
attempt of boarding the French schooner. 

“ Let’s have another shot at her before we close,” said 
Dick Stone. “ Luff a little,” cried Dick to the man at the 
helm ; “ not too much ; that’s it ; now I’ve got her.” At 
that moment the gun fired, and the shot once more entered 
the bows of the schooner. “ Too low,” said Dick, discon- 
tentedly. 

“ Reload, and close with her,” said Paul. “ Fire the gun 
as we touch her sides, not a moment before ; and spring 
upon her decks with me under cover of the smoke.” 

The schooner was now within a hundred and fifty yards 
of them, when the Polly luffed suddenly up, but as her 
broadside became exposed a shot from the enemy’s bow- 
chaser struck her fairly in the forecastle, and, passing 






















































































































































































. 












* 








































































































































, 























































































PAU L GREY BOARD 


I N G 


THE FRENCH 


SCHOONER. 








CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


185 


through the vessel, it killed both the unfortunate French 
prisoners, who were sitting together on the cabin deck. A 
few moments later, as the schooner came up, the Polly 
luffed sharp up and ran as though attempting to cross 
her bows, then, suddenly falling off, the schooner passed 
her within a foot ; and the grappling irons being thrown 
into the fore-chains, the two vessels hung together. In the 
same instant Dick Stone fired the long gun as the muzzle 
almost touched her side ; and in the cloud of smoke he fol- 
lowed Paul, who sprang at the given signal into the lower 
rigging. 

The manoeuvre of the Polly had been so sudden and un- 
expected, and the shock of the gun fired against the schoon- 
er’s side was so great, that her crew were taken almost by 
surprise as Paul’s powerful form appeared for an instant 
upon the bulwarks, and quickly discharging a pistol, which 
killed the first man opposed to him, he leaped upon the 
deck, sword in hand, and without reckoning the fearful 
odds he slashed right and left in all directions. Before the 
French crew had recovered from their surprise Paul had 
cut down three men and wounded a fourth. Dick Stone 
was the first to support him ; and discharging a pistol with 
extreme coolness at the only man that he saw in uniform, 
he killed the captain of the privateer almost as soon as he 
set foot upon her deck ; dashing his empty pistol into the 
face of a sailor, which sent him staggering backward, he 
then rushed into the fight with his cutlass. Three of the 
Polly's men jumped upon deck almost at the same instant; 
and had the entire crew been able to board, as originally in- 
tended, although the schooner’s crew consisted of forty 
men, it would have been impossible to deny that the Polly 
might have had a chance of success. Unfortunately, as the 
crew were endeavoring to follow their impetuous leader, 
one of the French sailors fired a carronade through the very 


186 


CAST UT BY THE SEA. 


port before which they swarmed up her sides. This sud- 
den explosion killed two men, and not only blew several 
others back upon the Polly's deck, but burst the grappling 
chains, and likewise carried away the lugger’s main-mast 
close by the board. 

The Polly , utterly disabled, now drifted away before the 
wind, and parted from the schooner with only five able men 
on board; five men were fighting like bull-dogs on the 
schooner, while two men were killed by the shot, and three 
badly wounded by the explosion. In the mean time a sailor 
at the schooner’s mast-head descried a large vessel bearing 
down upon them in full sail, and he immediately gave the 
alarm. 

In the heat of the fight, surrounded by tremendous odds, 
Paul had, by his immense strength beaten back all who op 
posed him. He had fired both his pistols with fatal ef- 
fect, and although wounded in several places, he fought 
with undiminished vigor, well seconded by Dick Stone, and 
the only survivor of the three gallant fellows who had fol- 
lowed them on board : the others had fallen. Dashing his 
way through the opposing crew he reached the quarter 
deck, and felling with a blow of his left hand a man who 
stood upon the step of the raised deck, he quickly seized 
the stock of an immense ship’s blunderbuss that was fixed 
by a pivot on the quarter-deck rail. “ Stand clear !” he 
shouted, as Dick fought his way to the spot; but at the 
same moment Paul saw the last of his men shot through 
the head, and fall. He hesitated no longer; and turning 
the heavy blunderbuss upon its pivot, he fired it into the 
crowd on the main-deck, only a few feet distant. About 
twenty bullets crashed from this one discharge into the 
middle of the enemy, and they fell like birds from a flock, 
some killed, and several wounded. Had the Polly's entire 
crew now been on deck one gallant charge would have wgn 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


187 


the day : but Paul was alone. Dick Stone had just fallen 
to a shot fired from the main-top. 

The cry of “ A sail !” was heard, and as Paul, who was 
growing weak from loss of blood, for an instant looked at 
the sea, he saw the Polly , with two masts gone, drifting 
disabled some hundred yards away before the wind. His 
eyes became hazy; a giddiness seized his brain as the blood 
flowed rapidly from his wounds ; he knew no more ; he fell 
upon the deck by the side of the stanch Dick Stone. 

The loss of life had been fearful in this desperate hand- 
to-hand struggle ; out of a crew of forty men the schooner 
had lost her captain and twelve men killed and fourteen 
wounded, leaving only fourteen sound men on deck. The 
shots from the Polly's long gun had hulled and raked the 
French vessel repeatedly, and upon every occasion there had 
been a loss of life; the discharge of the blunderbuss alone 
had killed three men and wounded six, and the schooner’s 
decks were strewed with dead, and slippery with blood. 
The remaining portion of the crew were demoralized at the 
loss of their captain, and upon seeing the large vessel that 
had been reported as a strange sail now rapidly approach- 
ing, they determined to leave the Polly to herself, and to 
run from what they correctly suspected to be a British man- 
of-war. The schooner at once altered her course, and with 
the loss of her fore-topmast, she attempted her escape, leav- 
ing the Polly , whose crew were busily engaged in repair- 
ing damages. 

Hardly had the French vessel sailed a quarter of a mile 
when a cloud of smoke for an instant obscured the Polly , 
as a shot from her long gun passed through the schooner’s 
rigging. The English crew had seen the approaching suc- 
cor, and they continued to fire shot after shot in the hope 
of disabling a spar or yard to enable the cruiser to overtake 
the enemy. 


188 


CAST Ur BY THE SEA. 


In less than three quarters of* an hour a brig of war, 
with the English colors flying, hailed the Polly , and heav- 
ing to she lowered a boat, and upon hearing an account ol 
the late fight she took the lugger in tow. The French 
schooner was out of sight, and as the captain of the brig 
was under orders to proceed to Falmouth he declined to be- 
gin a chase that would lead him in an opposite direction, 
especially as the schooner might have altered her course, 
which would render her discovery most uncertain. 

Within an hour of the action the brig was under full 
sail toward Falmouth, with the disabled lugger in tow, 
while the wounded men had been transferred to the King’s 
ship, and placed under surgical treatment. 

We must now return to the schooner, which steered 
direct for Dunkerque. As she lost sight of the English 
cruiser the crew regained their spirits, and heaving the 
dead bodies overboard they washed the soiled decks and 
carried the wounded down below. As one by one the dead 
were examined and stripped prior to being committed to 
the waves, the sailors who were thus employed came upon 
the bodies of Paul and Dick Stone. They had just com- 
menced their examination, and had turned Paul upon one 
side, when blood was observed to flow from one of his 
wounds, and upon a closer inspection it was discovered 
that he was not yet dead. As buckets of water were 
thrown upon the deck in all directions, the heave of the 
vessel occasionally rolled the water in a considerable depth 
into the scuppers, where the bodies of Paul and Dick Stone 
were lying. Having left Paul, they now attempted to lift 
up the apparently lifeless body of Dick for the purpose of 
throwing it overboard ; with this intention two men laid 
hold of it by the shoulders and the heels, and dragged it 
toward the open gangway on the main-deck. Before heav- 
ing it over they laid the body down, and one man exclaim* 


VAST UP B } THE SEA. 


189 


ed, “Mon Dieu! what heavy people are these English! 
We could throw two Frenchmen overboard with less trou- 
ble than one rosbif Englishman !” 

As he said these words, to the horror of the Frenchmen 
the body of Dick Stone suddenly sat up, and looking around 
with an expression of extreme coolness, he appeared to un- 
derstand the unpleasantness of his situation, as he exclaim- 
ed, in a calm but faint voice : 

“You Mo unseers are a very purlite people, but I’ll not 
trouble you to heave me overboard, as I can do that for 
myself whenever it’s agreeable.” 

Having said this he instinctively put his hand into his 
trowsers pocket, and drew forth his faithful pipe, which he 
deliberately filled : he then searched in his other pocket, 
and produced his flint and steel ; striking a light with dif- 
ficulty, he faintly puffed his pipe, and then asked, 

“ Where’s my captain ?” 

The Frenchmen pointed to Paul’s body. Dick stared 
mournfully at his commander’s lifeless figure. 

“ Where’s the Polly — the lugger ?” continued Dick, still 
more faintly. 

The Frenchmen pointed to the far horizon: “ Gone !” 
they exclaimed. 

Dick’s eyes glazed and became fixed ; the pipe dropped 
from his mouth ; he fell backward on the deck, and his 
features became rigid ; a dense puff of smoke issued from 
his mouth; the gallant spirit of Dick Stone had parted 
forever ! 

“ What droll people are these English 1” said the French- 
man, who now examined the body with much curiosity ; 

at last he is dead ! Give me a hand, and lift his feet 
while I take his shoulders ; now ! one ! two ! three !” 

A dull splash was heard as the schooner steadily contin- 
ued upon her course. 


CHAPTER XI. 


HEN we last parted from Ned Grey the SybiUe , one 



▼ ▼ of the finest frigates of the British navy, was plough- 
ing along with a fair wind at the mouth of the Channel on 
her voyage to the Indian station. Although strangers on 
board, it was not long before an incident occurred that raised 
the new-comers in the estimation of both officers and crew, 
with whom they had already become favorites. It would 
have been hard to say which was the greater pet with the 
sailors — the nigger boy Tim, or the dog Nero. The former 
had become cook’s mate, and was domiciled in the galley, 
while the latter was allowed to range anywhere except 
upon the quarter-deck, which sacred spot Nero learned to 
respect after he had been only a few days on board, and 
nothing would induce him to trespass beyond the forbidden 
limit unless called by the captain, who had specially adopt- 
ed him. 

Captain Cooke was one of the brightest ornaments of 
the service. Beloved by his men, they were ready to follow 
him through any danger ; and although he was well known 
to be heedless of a superior force, his attack was invariably 
attended with success ; he was accordingly considered to 
be a lucky captain, and when others found a difficulty in 
manning their ships the /Sybille was always certain of a su- 
perior crew. 

The frigate had passed the boisterous Bay of Biscay, 
and had made a rapid run to the Cape Yerde Islands. It 
Was about an hour before sunset that the high peak of St 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


191 


Antonio was first observed by a man at the mast-head bear- 
ing S.S.E., and as the evening closed this lofty landmark 
faded from view, and mingled with the gray bank of clouds 
that concealed the horizon. 

The night was fine and starlight, and the noble vessel 
flew through the water, as with studding-sails set she sail- 
ed like a huge white swan over the phosphorescent waves 
that sparkled with ten thousand lights, as though in mock- 
ery of the bright stars above. The foam rushed from her 
bows in sheets of mimic fire, while a brilliant stream of 
light washed her dark sides and glistened in her wake like 
a river of molten metal as the Sybille woke from their 
sleep the billions of animalcule — those glow-worms of the 
deep that light the sailor’s path in the dark and fathomless 
sea. Now a huge polypus gleamed in the depths as though 
some mermaid wandered with a lamp below ; then smaller 
lights twinkled in the creaming waves, and huge and fiery 
serpents seemed to chase each other in wild speed as the 
swift porpoises left their long and brilliant trail illumined 
in the dark blue sea. 

It was a lovely sight; it was one of those glorious ocean 
scenes that are unknown by those whose lives are passed 
on shore. Each drop of water teemed with life : there was 
the so-called barren sea, the watery desert peopled with its 
countless myriads ; the bright universe above ; the heavens 
with their hosts of brilliant worlds so distant, so incompre- 
hensible, equalled only in their infinity by the ocean waves, 
each of which contained a thousand worlds — life within life 
— world without end. “ The Spirit of God moved upon 
the face of the waters.” 

Ned Grey stood upon the quarter-deck and gazed below 
at the sparkling current as the ship flew rapidly on her 
way ; he thought of home, of his mother, and of Edith ; 
every instant the distance increased between them as the 


192 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


wind hurried the noble vessel farther and farther away. 
When, if ever, should he see their loved faces again ? These 
thoughts engrossed his attention, and although he still look- 
ed fixedly at the phosphorescent water beneath, he almost 
ceased to observe the brilliant scene, but merely gazed ab- 
stractedly, until a dark object struggling in the silvery 
stream roused him from his reverie ; almost at the same in- 
stant a loud cry was raised in the fore part of the ship — - 
“ A man overboard !” Instinctively and without a mo- 
ment’s hesitation Ned threw off his jacket, and repeating 
the alarming cry he sprang boldly into the sea. 

Rising quickly to the surface after his deep plunge, Ned 
struck out in the direction of the object that had first at- 
tracted his attention — this had vanished. 

“Where are you?” shouted Ned. A voice was heard 
far astern, at the same time Ned felt himself seized from 
behind by the shirt near the collar ; in another instant he 
felt a mass of silky hair as he reached back, and found him- 
self grasped by the strong teeth of his faithful dog. Nero 
was by his master’s side, apparently sleeping on the deck, 
when Ned had sprung over the ship’s gangway ; but upon 
seeing him disappear the dog immediately leaped over- 
board, and had succeeded in catching him quickly after his 
reappearance on the surface. 

“ Good old boy !” cried Ned, as he endeavored to free 
himself from the dog ; “ loose it, old fellow ! Let go, old 
man !” he continued, as Nero resolutely maintained his hold. 
After some difficulty he released himself from the dog, who 
then accompanied him toward the object of their search, 
which could now be clearly made out by the extreme bright- 
ness of one particular spot in the water, caused by the strug- 
gles of the person in the phosphorescence. 

“ Keep up till I come !” shouted Ned, to encourage the 
individual in question, who was about sixty yards distant 


CAST UP BY THE. SEA. 


193 


and without a thought for his own satety he struck out 
with increased vigor, with Nero swimming by his side. 

“ Help ! I’m sinking !” cried a despairing voice as Ned 
arrived within twenty strokes of the struggling sailor. 

“Don’t give in !” cried Ned, “ I’ll save you !” and he re- 
doubled his exertions to reach the drowning man ; he was 
within a few feet of him when he suddenly threw his arms 
above his head, and lie disappeared just as Ned was about 
to seize him by the hair. At that moment Nero dived, and 
following the bright light caused by the struggles of the 
sinking man, he caught him by the shoulder and dragged 
him once more to the surface. Without an instant’s delay 
Ned grasped him by the collar. “ Hold him, good dog P’ 
cried Ned, who found it difficult to support the weight; but 
to his astonishment Nero relaxed his grip, and quitting the 
man he caught Ned by the shirt at the shoulder-sleeve. At 
this moment the head of the half-drowned man turned, and 
the bright starlight shone upon the pale features of Jem 
Stevens. The dog had recognized him quicker than Ned, 
and nothing would induce him to assist. It was in vain 
that Ned urged him on. Occasionally he relaxed his hold 
of his master and swam by his side barking loudly, but he 
avoided Stevens with a stubborn determination. Several 
minutes elapsed in a severe struggle for life. Jem Stevens 
was an enemy, but this fact only served to awaken the chiv- 
alrous nature of Ned Grey, who clung to him with a gallant 
tenacity that endangered his own life. Stevens was utterly 
helpless, he was half dead, and Ned would have been unable 
to support his head above the surface had not the dog 
added to his buoyancy by holding him by the shoulder: 
even with his assistance he was nearly exhausted. Several 
times he had swallowed large quantities of water, as for a 
few seconds the dog had relaxed his hold, when the shirt 
gave way, and Ned sank until Nero once more grasped a 


194 


CAST. UP BY TUP SPA. 


fresh portion of his clothes ; he was almost done, and he 
feared that for self-preservation he would be forced to re- 
linquish his prize ; he felt heavy in the water, and his limbs 
became almost leaden. Whenever the dog lost his hold he 
barked loudly, as though calling for assistance ; but the Sy~ 
Mile was far away ; she had come sharp up to the wind at 
the cry of “ a man overboard,” and had laid her foretop- 
sail aback ; but she was nearly half a mile away from the 
spot before she could come round and lower a boat. 

Once more Ned’s shirt gave way, and again he sank, and 
for an instant he loosed his hold of Jem Stevens ; the dog 
barked loudly, and again he seized and supported his young 
master, who once more clutched the almost lifeless form of 
Jem Stevens, although himself in the last stage of distress. 
At that moment, when it became positively necessary to 
sacrifice Stevens to save his own life, he heard a voice at no 
great distance. 

“ Hold on, Massa Ned ! Lord hab mussy ’pon us ! Hold 
on, my dear Massa Ned ! Tim got de life-buoy ! Tim com- 
ing quick catch Massa Ned !” 

There was no mistaking the voice ; it was hardly a hun- 
dred yards distant, and the hope of succor instilled fresh 
vigor into the sinking frame of the exhausted Ned. Nero 
had also heard the well-known voice of Nigger Tim, and for 
an instant relaxing his hold, he barked loudly in reply, and 
then again supported his master. 

“ Come quick, Tim, I’m very nearly done !” cried Ned. 

“ All right, Massa Ned; tank God for Tim and de life- 
buoy ! I’s a coming !” 

In another minute, when Ned could no longer have sup- 
ported his burden, the dark and welcome figure of Tim was 
seen within a few yards. He was swimming in the centre 
of the life-buoy with all his strength, and, gaining Ned, he 
slipped from his position, and assisted him to the secure 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA. 


195 


place that he had vacated ; at the same time with their joint 
endeavors they supported Stevens above the surface. Tim 
held on stoutly, while the dog released from his labor, swam 
easily by the side of the party. 

In the mean time a boat was hurrying to their assistance 
from the frigate. The barking of the dog was the first 
guide, but upon a nearer approach the extreme luminous 
appearance of the water caused by the friction of the strug- 
gling swimmers directed the rowers to the spot. Although 
comparatively safe when clinging to the life-buoy, much ex- 
ertion was required to support the almost inanimate body 
of Stevens, and it was with a joyful sense of relief that Ned 
Grey hailed the arrival of the boat. 

“ Back water 1” shouted a voice as the boat neared them ; 
at the same time a sailor in the bow reached Ned with a 
boat-hook, grasping which, the floating party were gently 
towed to the side and taken on board. 

Stevens showed no signs of life, and upon arrival at the 
frigate his body was hoisted on deck by a sling, and at 
once consigned to the care of the doctor, while Ned and 
Nigger Tim quickly changed their clothes, and refreshed by 
a glass of grog they soon forgot their recent danger and 
escape. Nero had given himself a good shake, after which 
he was rubbed dry by several admiring sailors with a new 
swab. 

Ned Grey had only just reappeared on deck in a dry 
suit of clothes when he was summoned to the captain’s 
cabin ; the door was opened by the steward, and Ned found 
himself in the presence of Captain Cooke, who was engaged 
in the examination of a chart of the Indian seas. As Ned 
appeared he rolled up the chart quickly, and looking stead* 
fastly for some moments at the lad without speaking, he at 
length asked his name. 

“ Edward Grey, sir,” replied Ned. 

n 


19b' 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


“ You joined the ship against your inclination ?” said the 
captain. 

“ I was sorry to leave my home without a chance to say 
good-by, sir ; but I’m proud to serve the King under you, 
sir,” replied Ned. 

“ Well, Ned,” continued the captain, “the King may be 
proud of such a lad as yourself. You have done a gallant 
act to-night, and I’m glad to have the command of one so 
young who has shown such courage and devotion. There 
are many men who shine in the heat of action, but few who 
will risk their lives as you have done to save another. Tell 
me,” continued the captain, “ is it true that the lad you have 
saved is an old school-fellow and a personal enemy?” 

“ lie was a sehool-fellow r , sir,” replied Ned, “ and I am 
sorry that he is an enemy. I trust he may now forget the 
past, for I never gave him cause for dislike.” 

“Where do you live, and what is your occupation in 
England ?” asked the captain. 

Ned in a few words explained, and gave a short outline 
of his career, including the history of the nigger Tim’s es- 
cape. 

“ Well,” replied the captain, “ I congratulate you. There 
are few lads of your age who have already saved two lives, 
and I trust that you will yet earn other laurels on board the 
Sybille. I need not tell you to do your duty, but I trust 
the opportunity may soon arrive when you will prove your- 
self as brave under fire as you have been under trials by 
water. Go, Ned, do your duty, and I wish I had many like 
you.” 

Ned’s heart beat with an honest pride as he left his cap- 
tain’s presence. He felt at that moment as though he could 
dare the whole world to win his approbation, and he yearn- 
ed for the moment when in the smoke of battle he should 
be able to gain a smile from his gallant commander. At 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


197 


the same time that these feelings occupied his thoughts he 
longed to stretch out his hand to his old enemy, Jem Ste- 
vens, and to bury all enmity in the deep from which they 
had emerged. 

He had no sooner gained the deck than he requested to 
be allowed to visit Stevens, who was slowly recovering- 
under the doctor’s care. He found him lying in the berth 
only half conscious, and apparently with a desire to sleep. 

The doctor had other patients to visit, and as all imme- 
diate danger was past he gave Ned a bottle that contained 
a stimulant combined with a gentle narcotic, of which he 
ordered him to give a tablespoonful should he remain awake 
for more than half an hour. Ned sat by his berth, and 
watched the pale features of Jem Stevens by the dim light 
of a lamp. 

The half hour passed, and as he was still awake Ned 
wished to give the draught that had been prescribed. He 
therefore gently took the hand of Stevens that rested on 
the bed-clothes, and pressing it affectionately, he whispered : 

“ Stevens, take this from me. I promised the doctor to 
attend to you. Are you feeling better ?” 

There was no return on the part of Stevens to this friend- 
ly greeting; but after gazing fixedly at Ned for a few min- 
utes, he coldly withdrew his hand, and turning upon his 
side with his back to Ned, he muttered sullenly that he re- 
quired no medicine, but would go to sleep if left alone. 

Ned felt a pang as he quietly left the cabin and ascend- 
ed to the fresh air of the deck. There was an unmistakable 
feeling in the withdrawal of the hand, and he knew that the 
stubborn nature of Jem Stevens was proof against all gen- 
erosity. 

From that day Ned Grey held a high position in the 
opinion of both officers and crew of the Sybille; his ready 
obedience and alacrity in the performance of his duty, to- 


198 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


gether with his more than ordinary strength and activity, 
insured him the good-will of his superiors, while his general 
good-nature and cheerful disposition, added to his well- 
proved courage, gained for him the admiration of the mem 
He had become an especial favorite with the captain, who 
had been much struck with his gentlemanly appearance and 
demeanor. Upon several occasions he had drawn from 
Ned certain descriptions of his former life that increased 
the interest he had taken, and he comforted Ned with the 
assurance that upon their arrival at the Indian station he 
would be able to write home to his parents, and thus relieve 
their anxiety. At the same time he advised him to stick to 
the profession, and that he would apply for his promotion 
to enable him to enter as midshipman on the next voyage. 

There was only one individual among the entire crew of 
the Sybille who did not share the general feeling toward 
Ned Grey. This was Jem Stevens, who, although he had 
in some degree abated the insolence of his former demean- 
or, now sullenly passed him upon every occasion without 
condescending to notice his presence. 

Generosity of character is one of a sailor’s virtues, and 
the ingratitude of Jem Stevens, thus publicly exhibited, in- 
creased the dislike with which he was generally regarded. 
In the midshipmen’s berth he was positively hated ; by the 
superior officers he was despised; and the sailors had on 
more than one occasion declared that the dog Nero had 
shown more discretion than Ned in refusing to assist so 
worthless a fellow. 

This was the state of feeling among the officers and crew 
of the Sybille when, after a prosperous voyage, during which 
she had captured several prizes, she arrived off the coast of 
Ceylon, which was the first land she had sighted since leav- 
ing the Cape Yerde Islands. 

The frigate had coasted the southern portion of Ceylor* 


CAST JB BY THE SEA. 


195 


at a distance that obscured all but the beautiful deep blue 
mountains of the interior, which rose to an altitude that 
concealed their summits in the clouds. Upon rounding the 
eastern point the Sybille steered directly north, and as the 
south-west monsoon was blowing strong she coasted within 
ten miles of the shore to make the harbor of Trincomalee. 
Nothing could be more beautiful than the appearance of 
this Paradise of the East. At times the lofty mountains, 
although upward of sixty miles distant, appeared to be with- 
in a day’s march of the vessel. The sea w T as the deepest 
blue, and as the frigate stood close in shore when passing a 
projecting headland the white surf was seen to break upon 
the coral reefs almost at the feet of the waving cocoa-nut 
palms which formed dense groves even to the water’s edge. 
At times the native villages could be perceived nestled 
among the shady palms. At length the latitude of the 
wished-for harbor was reached, and the Sybille steered di- 
rect for the shore toward the heights that rose near the en- 
trance to Trincomalee. As the frigate approached the 
scene increased in beauty ; the palms appeared to spring 
from the surface of the waves, and the hills, clothed with 
verdure to their summits, were reflected in the calm waters 
of the magnificent harbor which, completely land-locked, 
lay like an inland lake surrounded by the most lovely vege- 
tation of the tropics. 

With her sails close hauled, the Sybille steered through 
the narrow entrance, and shot after shot rang from her 
decks and re-echoed from the surrounding hills as she sa- 
luted the fort upon the Point ; she then came sharp up to the 
wind, and cast anchor within a hundred yards of the shore, 
while the men swarmed up the rigging at the sound of the 
boatswain’s whistle, and in a few minutes every sail was 
furled, and the Sybille looked as snug as though she had 
been lying for a month in port. 


200 


VAST VP BY THE SEA . 


At that time the beautiful island of Ceylon had not been 
long in our possession since England had wrested it from 
the Dutch. The latter people had contented themselves 
with the seaboard and adjoining lowlands, as they consider- 
ed that the great importance of Ceylon consisted in the pe- 
culiar harbor of Trincomalee, which not only would contain 
a powerful fleet to command the Indian seas, but was suffi- 
ciently large to float half the navies of the world ; in addi- 
tion to its vast capacity, the water was of sufficient depth 
within a few' feet of the land to enable a first-class ship of 
the line to lie with her bowsprit overhanging the shore. 
Trincomalee may be called the key of India ; in the hands 
of a powerful enemy a fleet would lie in perfect security 
that could defy attack, as the vicinity of the harbor is spe- 
cially arranged by nature for defense. At the time of which 
we write there was no other protection than the Dutch fort 
at the Point, which exists at the present day, and it is a cu- 
rious instance of neglect that this magnificent harbor re- 
mains otherwise unprotected. 

With a fleet of fast cruisers concentrated at Trincomalee 
by an enemy the trade of India would be almost annihilated, 
as such vessels would scour the seas like falcons, and when 
chased by a superior force they would run for the impreg- 
nable nest. On the same principle the possession of Trin- 
comalee affords incalculable advantages as a great depot and 
arsenal for naval and military stores. There is no other safe 
harbor in the island, neither is there any secure port nearer 
than Bombay ; thus, in the event of a naval action in the In- 
dian seas, there are no ports to which the crippled ships 
could retreat for repairs, except those of Port Louis in the 
Mauritius, Trincomalee, and Bombay ; it was accordingly 
of vital importance to our Indian possessions that these 
three harbors should belong to England. 

Unfortunately for our Indian commerce, at that time 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


201 


Mauritius belonged to the French, with whom we were at 
war, and the extreme importance of our position was pain, 
fully exhibited to the English by the havoc committed on 
our trade. In the strongly-fortified harbor of Port Louis a 
French fleet of powerful frigates was established, with which 
our vessels of inferior force upon the station were unable 
to cope. In consequence of our inferiority several actions 
had been fought in the Indian seas which added more to 
French renown than to the glory of England ; nevertheless 
our Admiralty authorities continued to send to the Indian 
station a number of second-class frigates and corvettes that 
were totally unadapted for a collision with the large ships 
and heavy metal of the enemy. 

Although this inferiority was admitted, it did not inter- 
fere with the ardor of our captains, who with a reckless in- 
trepidity hovered around the coasts of Mauritius, and chal- 
lenged every combat without considering the overpowering 
odds. Thus many severe losses had befallen us. 

Among those French vessels that had gained a high rep- 
utation was a powerful frigate, the Forte,. This vessel had 
been newly built in France expressly to harass our com- 
merce in the Indian seas ; and as our naval supremacy was 
generally admitted, the French had constructed this ship 
upon a scale and armament so superior to any thing that 
the English possessed that without some gross mismanage- 
ment success would appear almost certain. 

As the English losses had become of serious importance 
it was resolved that the fleet upon the Indian station should 
be re-enforced. Thus, among other vessels, the Sybille had 
been dispatched from England, and it was the determina- 
tion of her captain to seek out and fight the reuowued 
forte upon the earliest opportunity. 


CHAPTER XII. 


WEEK after the Sybille had arrived in the harbor oi 



£\. Trineomalee she looked as though she had only just 
been rigged and fitted for sea ; her lower rigging had been 
tightened and retarred, her top-masts fresh varnished, and 
the vessel had been newly painted from stem to stern. 
There was not a ship in the British navy that looked more 
like a perfect specimen of a man-of-war ; her guns were not 
only in beautiful neatness and finish of polish, but her crew 
were constantly trained in their use, as Captain Cooke was 
of opinion that a shot thrown away was worse than wasted : 
thus he instructed his men never to fire at a useless range, 
but to wait patiently for close quarters : “ Close quarters 
and good seamanship will win the battle ” was a well-known 
saying of the Sybille 1 s captain, in which his men had learn- 
ed to thoroughly believe. 

During the frigate’s stay at Trineomalee she on several 
occasions put to sea to exercise her guns, until at length 
the day arrived when .she was to sail in search of the re- 
nowned depredator, the Forte. 

At that time the French Indian squadron, under Admiral 
Sercey, was cruising with great success in the neighborhood 
of Manilla and throughout the China seas, in which direc- 
tion our losses of homeward bound Indiamen had been most 
severe; it was reported that the Forte was also in those 
seas, and the Sybille left the quiet harbor of Trineomalee 
with her officers and crew in high spirits at the expected 
rencontre. 

After a rapid voyage to Manilla, to the great disappoint 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


203 


ment of Captain Cooke he heard that the Forte had left, 
and that she was cruising in the Bay of Bengal. Without 
losing a day the Sybille ran for Madras, where she expected 
to gain some intelligence of the proceedings of her enemy. 

Upon arrival at the Madras roadstead Captain Cooke 
heard to his intense satisfaction that the Forte was cruising 
along the coast, and that she had already intercepted sev- 
eral vessels. Having gained this welcome intelligence he 
sailed without delay for the mouth of the Bengal River. 

When near the Sandheads the Sybille met a vessel con- 
taining French prisoners, some of whom had been on board 
the Forte ; these upon seeing the armament of the Sybille 
ridiculed the idea of an encounter with their heavy frigate. 
Upon the same vessel was an English captain of a merchant 
vessel that had been captured by the Forte: he also ex- 
pressed an opinion that the risk of an engagement would 
be most dangerous to the Sybille , at the same time he gal- 
lantly volunteered his services. The Forte was reported to 
be near at hand off the Sandheads. 

It was on a dark night that the Sybille was standing under 
easy sail, with the wind light but steady from the sou’-sou’- 
west, when flashes were remarked in the far distance which 
resembled sheet lightning. At first this appearance attract- 
ed no more than ordinary attention, but upon their quick 
and repeated occurrence Captain Cooke concluded that 
they originated from the explosion of cannon ; it was there- 
fore natural to suppose that, as the Forte was within a 
short distance, the flashes must proceed from her in some 
engagement with an English vessel. 

Having carefully extinguished all lights on board, the 
Sybille tacked to the west at 9 p.m., and at 9.30 p.m. she 
distinguished three vessels in a cluster in the south-east; 
these were the Forte and her two valuable prizes, the In* 
diamen Endeavor and the Lord Mornington from China, 


204 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


In her action with these ships the flashes from the Forte's 
guns had attracted the attention of the British frigate. 

The SyMlle' s drum beat to quarters, and as the crew 
stood at their guns a finer lot of seamen could never have 
been selected. Not a light was to be seen on the English 
ihip ; but standing on the quarter-deck, in a silence in which 
a pin might have been heard to fall, the gallant Captain 
Cooke addressed a few spirit-stirring words to his brave 
followers : 

“My lads,” he said, “you’ve long been looking for the 
Forte ; there she lies before you: go in and take her! 
Double shot your guns, and don’t fire until you rub against 
her sides.” 

“ Rightly conjecturing that one of these ships would 
prove to be the object of his search, Captain Cooke contin- 
ued to stand to the westward in order to get the weather- 
gage; and soon afterward the SyMlle passed about two 
miles to leeward of them. At 10 p.h. having brought the 
three ships sufficiently on her quarter to enable her to 
weather them by going on the other tack, the SyMlle j^ut 
about, and taking in her tojD-gallant sails and courses, kept 
the centre ship, which from her superior size and the lights 
in her stern marked her out as the Forte , on her lee or lar- 
board bow. 

“ The water was at this time quite smooth, with a light 
and steady breeze still blowing from the sou’-sou’-west, and 
the SyMlle under her topsails, jib, and spanker, was going 
about two knots an hour. At 11.30 p.m. the SyMlle saw 
that the three ships were lying to on the starboard tack, or 
that on which she was standing. 

“ At midnight, when the SyMlle had approached within 
a mile of the Forte , the latter’s two rows of ports, lighted 
up as they were, gave the ship a very formidable appear* 
ftnce. The Forte then filled, hove in stays under the 8y 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


’205 


Mile’s lee bow, and as her larboard guns began to bear, 
fired six or seven of them, the instant and principal effect 
of which was to bring down her opponent’s jib. The Forte 
as she passed on fired also her after guns, and one of the 
prizes opened her fire ; but still the SyMlle, as a proof of the 
judgment of her commander and the steadiness of her crew, 
reserved her fire for a shorter and more effective distance. 

“ The patience of the latter, however, was put to no 
longer a trial than until the Forte passed abaft the beam of 
their ship : when, at three-quarters past midnight, the Sy- 
Mlle put her helm up, and fired the whole of her broadside 
into the Fortds stern, at less than pistol-shot distance ; so 
close indeed that the French ship’s spanker-boom was 
scarcely cleared. Luffing quickly up, the SyMille was pres- 
ently close alongside her antagonist to leeward, and poured 
in a second broadside, as well directed as the previous rak- 
ing one. The bearing-up of the SyMlle had been so sudden 
and unexpected that several of the Fortes larboard or 
weather guns went off after the former had passed to lee- 
ward. 

“Thus this furious night-action commenced. For near- 
ly the first hour, during which the two ships lay broadside 
to broadside, at a distance that never exceeded point-blank 
musket range, and was sometimes much nearer, the Forte 
returned a spirited but far too elevated, and consequently 
an almost harmless, fire. At 1.30 a.m. on March 1 Captain 
Cooke was mortally wounded by a grape-shot, and the com- 
mand devolved upon Lieutenant Lucius Hardyman. About 
ten minutes after Captain Cooke had been carried below, 
Captain Davies, of the army, an aid-de-camp of Lord Morn- 
ington’s, and a volunteer upon this occasion, while encourag- 
ing the men at the quarter-deck guns, of some of which he 
had charge, was killed by a cannon-shot that nearly severed 
his body.” 


206 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


Ned Grey was splashed with his blood, as, stripped to 
the waist, he fought his gun with the brave fellows around 
him, with that cool intrepidity that has won all of England’s 
battles. He had seen his beloved captain struck down by 
a shot, and for the moment he would have rushed to his as* 
sistance ; but a stern sense of duty overcame this first im- 
pulse, and as others supported his captain’s sinking frame 
Ned cast a sorrowful look behind him, and then lent double 
strength to his work as they ran the gun out, and the shot 
crashed into the sides of the French frigate. For upward 
of two hours there had been an uninterrupted roar of ar- 
tillery, but at this time the fire from the Forte began to 
slacken, and at 2.30 a.m. it entirely ceased. 

“ On this the Sybille discontinued her fire, and hailed tc 
know if her antagonist had struck. Receiving no reply, 
although the ships were still so close that the voices of the 
Fortes people were distinctly heard, the Sybille recom- 
menced firing with renewed vigor. Finding no return, the 
British frigate a second time ceased, and a second time 
hailed, but again without effect. At this moment, perceiv- 
ing the Forte's rigging filled with men, and her top-gallant 
sail loose, as if with the intention of endeavoring to escape, 
the Sybille recommenced her fire for the third time, and set 
her own foresail and top-gallant sails. 

“ In five minutes after this the Forte's mizzen-mast came 
down, and in another minute or two her fore and main 
masts and bowsprit. The Sybille ceased firing, her crew 
gave three cheers ; and thus at 2.28 a.m , being about 
two hours and a half from its commencement, the action 
ended. 

“ The Sybille immediately dropped her anchor in seven- 
teen fathoms, and all hands began repairing the rigging and 
bending new sails. At about 3 a.m. one of the English 
prisoners on board the Forte , finding that the ship was 


CAST UP BY T1IE SEA. 


207 


drifting upon the Sybille , hailed the latter to request that a 
boat might be sent on board, as all theirs had been shot to 
pieces. Although no doubt existed on board the Sybille as 
to the name of the ship of which she had made such a 
wreck, the question was put, and ‘ the French frigate Forte ’ 
was the answer returned. While possession is taking of 
the prize, we will give some account of the damage and loss 
of the ship that had so gallantly captured her. 

“ The Sybille had most of her standing and all her run 
ning rigging and sails shot to pieces, all her masts and 
yards, particularly the main and mizzen masts, and the 
yards on them badly wounded, but with all this the Sybille 
had only received in the hull and upper works six shot; 
one of which, however, had dismounted a gun, and another, 
a twenty-four pounder, having entered one of the officer’s 
cabins, had shivered to atoms a large trunk and a smaller 
one near it, carried away two legs of a sofa, and passed out 
through the ship’s side. The Sybille had lost Captain 
Davies, one seaman, one marine, and two soldiers killed, 
and Captain Cooke (mortally), fifteen seamen, and one sol- 
dier wounded ; total, five killed and seventeen wounded. 

“ When Lieutenant Nicholas Manger, third of the Sy- 
bille, } with his boat’s crew, went on board the Forte , the 
scene of wreck and carnage that presented itself to their 
view was such, by all account, as no other persons than the 
actual spectators could form an adequate idea of. The 
bowsprit had gone close to the figure-head, the fore-mast 
one foot above the forecastle, the main-mast eighteen feet 
above the quarter-deck, and the mizzen-mast ten feet above 
the poop. As the masts had fallen with all the sails set, 
it was remarked that the three topsails were very slightly 
injured; the Sybille' s shot had taken a lower and more 
fatal direction. All the boats, booms, the wheel, capstan, 
binnacle, and other articles on deck were cut to pieces* 


208 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


“ The Forte's upper works were lined with cork to pre» 
vent splinters ; and for the same purpose nettings were 
fixed fore and aft as well on the main-deck as on the quar- 
ter-deck, forecastle, and gangways. Another stout netting 
was spread like an awning over the quarter-deck. This is 
common on board French ships ; and being put up to pre- 
sent blocks and other heavy articles from falling from aloft, 
is appropriately named ‘ la sauve - tete.’ The starboard 
quarter-deck and forecastle barricades were completely de- 
stroyed ; and the same side of the Forte from the bends 
upward was nearly beat in. Upward of three hundred 
round shot were counted in her hull ; several of her guns 
were dismounted ; and the very cables in her tiers were 
rendered unserviceable. 

“ The loss on board the Forte may well have been se- 
vere. Her original crew, including a portion of Malays 
taken on board at Batavia, amounted to 513 men and boys. 
Of this number she had sent away in various prizes, accord- 
ing to the account given by her officers, 143; leaving 370 
as the number present in the action. Of these she lost, as 
appears, 05 killed, including her captain, first lieutenant, 
and some other officers, and 80 wounded, including also 
several of her officers.”* 

At the close of the action the two prizes, now manned 
with French crews (the Lord Mornington and Endeavor ), 
made sail and effected their escape after an ineffectual chase 
by the Sybille , the shattered condition of her rigging pre- 
venting the possibility of carrying sufficient sail to overhaul 
them. 

The joy of the Sybille 1 s crew was terribly damped by 
the grievous wound received by their captain ; a grape-shot 
had entered the fleshy portion of his right arm, and tearing 

* The description of this celebrated action between the Sybille and tfie 
Forte is extracted from James’s “ Naval History,” 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


209 


its way through the ribs it had passed out at the back near 
the spine ; the doctor had no hope of his recovery. 

A few days were passed in rigging the Forte under 
jury-masts, after which she was taken in tow by the Sybille 
to Calcutta, where she could be repaired sufficiently to en- 
able her to proceed to England. Upon arrival at Calcutta 
there was universal gratification at the sight of the dreaded 
Forte thus brought in as a capture by the gallant Sybille. 
But the unfortunate Captain Cooke could enjoy no share 
of the honors that were heaped upon them. The glory of 
this world was passed ; and he gradually sank, and died a 
few days after his arrival. Before his death he had re- 
quested to see Ned Grey, in whom he had taken the warm- 
est interest, and he confided him to the care of Lieutenant 
Hardy man, requesting that, as he had been forcibly taken 
from his home, he might return to England on board the 
Forte , together with Nigger Tim and the dog Nero. The 
latter had so attached himself to the captain that he had 
seldom stirred from his cabin since the day he had received 
his mortal wound. 

The body of Captain Cooke was buried at Calcutta with 
military honors, followed to the grave not only by the Sy- 
bille's officers and crew but by an enormous assemblage of 
people, among whom there was no more sincere mourner 
than Ned Grey, who had lost his best and most powerful 
friend. 

True to the instructions that he had received from Cap- 
tain Cooke, Lieutenant Hardyman, who had succeeded to 
the command, placed a prize crew upon the Forte , including 
Ned Grey and his party, that had originally been kid- 
napped, together with Jem Stevens, who had shown so 
much nervousness in the late fight that the officers request- 
ed to be rid of him, and the vessel, having been partiallv 
repaired, set sail for England. 


210 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


The Forte was commanded by the same officer who had 
taken Ned Grey from the beach on the morning that he 
and Tim had left Sandy Cove with the intention of return- 
ing home to breakfast, and the good-natured lieutenant 
now looked forward to returning to his friends the same 
lad covered with honor that he had originally misled : as 
he had left England on board the Sybille , so he would re- 
turn on board the Sybille' s prize, which he had bravely 
helped to win. 

On the 25th March the Forte sailed, and had fair weath- 
er until she arrived in about 17° south latitude. Ned Grey 
was acting as midshipman, having received this temporary 
promotion for the voyage. Nigger Tim was, as before, in 
the galley as cook’s mate ; and Jem Stevens was as sullen 
as usual, but ever since the action with the Forte he had 
very little to say, as during the fight he had been found ly- 
ing upon his back, at first supposed to be killed, but upon 
examination there was no wound, and he could only explain 
the situation by declaring that he had been knocked down 
by the wind of a shot at the commencement of the action, 
and that he had not recovered his senses until it was over* 
Various remarks had been made by the officers and crew, 
who were sufficiently uncharitable to attribute his prostra- 
tion to fear; the word “ coward ” had been used by more 
than one in connection with this affair, and even Nigger 
Tim had ventured a remark that had become a by-word 
with the sailors — “ Massa Stevens smell de powder, Massa 
Stevens get de belly-ache.” Ned Grey had long since dis- 
continued his attempts at reconciliation ; and to avoid un- 
pleasantness he said as little to his old school-fellow as pos- 
sible. 

It was on the 2 2d April that the Forte suddenly lost the 
wind, and lay becalmed. The barometer had fallen in an 
alarming manner since the morning, and it continued to 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA . 


211 


sink with great rapidity, although the sky was perfectly 
clear. At about an hour after noon snow-white and dense 
clouds, like mountains of frozen snow, rose upon all quar- 
ters of the horizon, and were it not for the oppressive heat 
the scene might have been imagined in the Arctic regions. 
Quickly ascending from the sea, and darkening as they 
rose, the clouds massed together, and uniting from all di- 
rections, in about an hour they formed the densest canopy, 
that totally concealed the heavens. The sky was solidly 
black, as though covered by thick folds of velvet, only in 
certain points the color varied to a dark purplish gray, as 
one edge of an overlapping stratum was exposed. It was 
the hurricane season in that particular latitude and longi- 
tudinal position, and there could be no doubt that a cyclone 
of the most fearful description was about to burst upon 
them. The Forte was badly manned, as few could be 
spared from the Sybille , and the greater portion of the 
crew were Lascars; in addition to this disadvantage she 
had only been patched and otherwise hastily repaired since 
her recent engagement, in which she had been terribly shat- 
tered, and her rigging was made up of old stuff that had 
been procured at Calcutta simply to enable her to complete 
the voyage to England preparatory to a general refit. Al- 
together, the Forte was in no condition to contend with a 
tropical cyclone. 

There was a painful stillness in the air, and the vessel 
rolled heavily in the long, irregular swell of the sea, as there 
was no wind to steady her. Suddenly there was a scream 
as though ten thousand furies yelled and flapped their 
wings high up in the dense mass of inky vapor ; but still 
the sails hung listlessly without a breath of air ; these were 
a storm-stay-sail, double-reefed foresail, and spanker. 

It was nearly dark, although hardly 3 p.m. ; the sea was 
black. Presently, in the far distance a bright white streak 
14 


212 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


appeared low upon the horizon, which increased with araaz. 
ing rapidity until it resembled an endless line of rolling 
snow. There was no doubt in the minds of all on board — 
the hurricane was upon them ! There was no breath of air 
to trim the sails and bring the vessel’s head to the advanc- 
ing squall. She lay helplessly rolling in the disturbed and 
heavy swell. 

In the mean time the roar of the approaching storm 
could plainly be heard as the ghastly line of foam swept 
over the darkened sea with incredible velocity. Every man 
was on deck and at his post, but as yet nothing could be 
done. The roar increased, and as the white line advanced 
the surface of the sea behind was like a sheet of snow after 
a heavy fall; the water appeared compressed and flattened 
by the enormous pressure of the gale. On it came ! nearer 
and nearer, in all the madness of the hurricane, until, with a 
shriek of wind and tumultuous rush of foaming water, the 
white line reached them, and pressed the noble frigate on 
her beam-ends. 

The fore-mast snapped short off by the deck ; every sail 
had been blown to shreds; the bowsprit was gone; and 
thus relieved the ship slowly recovered her position, and 
drifted at a fearful speed before the storm. It would be 
impossible to describe the tempest which now hurried the 
frigate from her course ; the sea, that had at first been van- 
quished by the wind, now rose in all the ocean’s majesty; 
mountain and valley could be reckoned as the overwhelm- 
ing masses of water swept in wild waves before the hurri- 
cane, their curling crests blowing off into misty spray as 
their tops became exposed to the force of the wind. Noth- 
ing more could be done than to loosen a few reefs of the 
main-topsail, and run before the storm. 

Night came on. The darkness was hardly felt, as every 
half minute a bright flash of lightning illumined the scene. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA 


215 


{succeeded by roars of thunder, before which the artillery 
of the ship would have appeared like a faint echo. Running 
before the gale, the frigate rolled to such an extent in the 
heavy sea that no one could stand upon the decks without 
holding on. Upon several occasions she had shipped great 
seas that rushed bodily across her decks from port to port ; 
every thing was battened down securely, and thus the Forte 
rushed headlong before the resistless storm. 

When day broke the hurricane, if possible, increased, 
and a little before noon a sudden whirlwind carried away 
the main-topmast. Cutting the wreck adrift the Forte roll- 
ed worse than before, and it was considered necessary to 
heave some of her guns overboard to reduce the deck load. 
This was effected with great difficulty, and one by one her 
heavy guns plunged into the deep. All those from the up- 
per deck had disappeared, and the effect was quickly ob- 
served. Although she still rolled heavily, she no longer 
shipped a sea at every lurch. 

Three days and nights thus passed away in the gloom 
and misery of the hurricane. The world appeared to be 
made up of thunder, lightning, wind, waves, and darkness ! 

On the fourth morning the storm began to abate, and the 
wind, although still blowing a violent gale, was no longer 
the hurricane which had driven them from their course. 
As yet the sky had been completely overcast, thus no ob- 
servation could be taken, and the position of the ship could 
only be vaguely guessed by dead reckoning The vessel 
had been running at about an average of eleven knots an 
hour throughout the storm, and as the direction, although 
varying, tended principally to north-west, it was considered 
that she must have either run past the northern extremity 
of Madagascar, or be still on the east of that island. In 
either case it was a most dangerous position, as the storm 
still blew with great violence, and was driving them toward 


214 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


a lee shore. The sea was exceedingly heavy, as the hurri- 
cane had forced it toward the west ; thus the full power of 
the Indian Ocean was surging in that direction. 

The day passed away as usual in deep gloom, but as 
night came on there was a decided improvement in the 
weather, which, although bad, was as nothing compared to 
the storm to which they had been for so long exposed. The 
men began to breathe again; the ship had leaked badly, 
owing to the numerous shot-holes, some of which were inse- 
curely stopped; thus the pumps had been kept going 
throughout the storm, and the men were nearly worn out. 
As the night closed in all hoped for fine weather on the 
morrow, and Ned Grey, who had had little sleep, swung in 
his hammock cheered with happy dreams, in which he saw 
the cottage on the cliff, and Edith and his mother. Sud- 
denly he was almost thrown from his hammock by a sharp 
jerk, and waking quickly he heard a confused noise and 
trampling of feet, together with the sound of a heavy rush 
of water. He sprang from his hammock, but hardly had 
he reached the deck than a tremendous shock sent him 
staggering against the bulkhead ; at the same instant he 
heard a loud crash upon the upper deck. 

Recovering from the shock he rushed up the companion. 
At the moment that he arrived he fortunately grasped a 
rope in the pitchy darkness, as a heavy wave swept across 
the vessel and carried several men overboard, which would 
also have been Ned’s fate had he not held firmly on. Noth- 
ing could be seen. The wind was blowing hard, but it had 
much abated, and the storm was evidently dying out ; nev- 
ertheless the sea was running very high, and presently the 
vessel rose upon a tremendous wave, and once more Ned 
felt a shock that for the moment threw him off his legs. 
Again a heavy sea swept the decks, and rolled completely 
over the hapless frigate, which, having weathered the storm, 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


215 


had now been driven on a reef in the darkness of the night. 
The main-mast had fallen overboard at the second shock of 
striking; the vessel now rested immovable, the fore part 
firmly wedged upon the coral reef, while every sea swept 
over her with fearful violence. 

Some of the crew were in the mizzen rigging ; this was 
the only remaining mast, and there was no fear of its loss, 
as the vessel was now stationary: a crowd of men had 
therefore occupied the mizzen-top. 

As the night wore on the clouds began to break, and the 
stars peeped out from the thick veil that had so long con- 
cealed them ; the wind had also sensibly decreased, but the 
sea struck heavily upon the frigate, and as the stern hung 
in deep water, while the fore part was fixed upon the reef, 
she had already broken her back and had filled with water ; 
her sides had opened amidships, and there was great danger 
of her going to pieces. 

When morning broke, after a long and weary night, the 
first person that Ned saw was Nigger Tim, shivering with 
wet and cold and clinging to the windlass, to which he had 
secured Nero with a rope. The sea still broke over the 
ship at intervals ; but as daylight had dawned Ned left his 
secure position and went aft to receive orders. 

Amidships the deck was torn up, and the stern was hang- 
ing lower than the fore part of the ship. The lieutenant in 
command was missing, with many of the crew, who had 
been washed overboard during the night, and the scene of 
confusion was beyond description. There was no one to 
command except Jem Stevens and another midshipman, and 
the men had lost all discipline, and merely thought of sav- 
ing themselves by the boats, of which few were left, as they 
had been dashed to pieces by the surf. It was in vain that 
Ned attempted to restore order. The Lascars had attempt- 
ed to push off from the ship unobserved, upon the discovery 


216 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


of which a fight ensued, and the English, being the strong- 
er, threw many of them overboard. The men would listen 
to no commands, and simply united in their endeavors to 
launch the cutter, as they momentarily expected the vessel 
would part asunder and sink in deep water. 

Others of the crew succeeded in launching two smaller 
boats, and leaping wildly into them they pushed off from 
the ship ; but being overcrowded they almost immediately 
filled and upset, disappearing with all hands in the raging 
surf. At length, after many fruitless efforts, the cutter was 
safely lowered, and kept away about three boats’ lengths 
from the ship; Jem Stevens was already in her, and many 
men now sprang into the water, and endeavored to reach 
the boat by swimming. About twenty were taken on board, 
and, seeing the necessity of self-preservation, Ned called to 
Tim to follow him, and both lads, accompanied by the dog, 
sprang into the sea and swam toward the boat. In a few 
strokes they arrived at her side just as the crew, having 
manned the twelve oars, were preparing to pull away from 
the ship. Ned clung to the stern, his example being fol- 
lowed by Tim. 

“ Give a hand !” cried Ned to Jem Stevens, who was 
seated in the stern. 

“ Hands off !” cried Stevens ; “ the boat’s full ! you’re too 
late !” at the same time he threatened to cut Ned’s fingers 
with his knife (which he quickly opened) unless he let go 
his hold. “ Give way, my lads !” he cried at the same time 
to the crew, who had not observed Ned Grey, who was con- 
cealed by the stern of the boat ; at the same instant the ten 
oars dipped in the water, and the large boat started for- 
ward at a powerful stroke. Ned had clung to the boat ; 
but seeing that Stevens actually cut at his fingers, he re- 
laxed his hold just in time to avoid the knife, and the boat 
left him swimming in the water. 


DESERTION OF N F D AND T ! M BY STEVENS 










CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


219 


Tim was still clinging to the gunwale, but upon observ- 
ing Ned deserted, he relinquished his hold and swam back 
to his young master, at the same time he shouted, “ Catch 
de ship, Massa Ned ! nebber mind de boat. Debbel take 
care of Massa Stevens !” 

Ned followed Tim’s advice, and struck out for the frigate, 
and fortunately both lads caught hold of a floating mast 
just as the vessel parted amidships, and the after portion 
disappeared entirely in deep water. Had they not clung 
to the mast they must have been sucked under by the vor- 
tex of the sinking hull. Nothing now remained but the 
fore part of the frigate, which was firmly fixed upon the 
reef. To this portion of the wreck the two lads swam, and 
climbed on board by means of the broken shrouds hanging 
from the fore-chains ; they then secured the dog by a rope, 
and hauled him upon deck. Another boat in addition to 
the cutter had succeeded in leaving the wreck. Many peo- 
ple had perished with the sunken stern; others had been 
drowned in their attempts to reach the boats; some had 
been washed overboard during the night ; and as Ned and 
Tim now stood upon the forecastle with the faithful Nero 
they were the only living beings that remained upon the 
wreck of the once-powerful frigate Forte. The boats had 
pulled out to sea in a direction north-west. 

By degrees the wind died away as the sun sank in the even 
ing ; the clouds had broken, and as the moon rose they grad- 
ually dispersed ; the stars shone brightly ; the stormy sea 
had spent its rage, and subsided into a long and sullen swell, 
and peace once more reigned among the exhausted elements. 
Hungry and tired, the three living creatures on the wreck 
lay down and slept upon the deck of the forecastle. The 
sea no longer broke over the fragment of the hull, but simply 
dashed harmlessly against the sides, and splashed into the 
interior of the hold where the vessel had parted amidships. 


CHAPTER XIIIo 


NOTHER morning broke ; it was clear and beautiful. 



Not a cloud dimmed the sky in the gray dawn, and 
the sun rose upon a calm sea ; no vestige of the tempest re- 
mained but the broken wreck — the Sybille?s prize, that was 
to have conveyed Ned to England and his home. 

Ned and Tim had both slept soundly, in spite of the 
chill of wet clothes ; the weather was warm, and as the sun 
rose, the heat soon dried them. Ned Grey was not defi- 
cient in romance, but he felt that, however exciting the ad^ 
venture, much remained to be done to save their lives. 
Tim was entirely practical, and as he felt extremely hungry 
he desired something to eat. Judging from Nero's de- 
meanor, he was of the same opinion, as he constantly pawed 
his young master Ned, and looked wistfully in his face, as 
though he thought he had forgotten to order breakfast. 

All the fowls had been washed overboard together with 
the hen-coops and half a dozen sheep that had been taken on 
board for the officers : there was literally nothing to eat, 
unless they could discover some casks of provisions among 
the mass of miscellaneous cargo that occupied the fore-hold. 
Descending into the interior of the wreck among a chaos of 
barrels, Ned broke in the head of a cask with a heavy iron 
marling-spike, and to his great joy he found that it contain- 
ed biscuits, which were perfectly dry and uninjured; ac- 
cordingly, lest the sea should again rise, both he and Tim 
employed themselves in carrying up a large quantity, which 
they piled on deck, nor did they relinquish their work un- 
til, by means of a piece of canvas cut from a sail, they had 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


221 


conveyed away the whole contents of the barrel. Upon a 
further search they discovered a cask branded “ India Mess 
Beef,” whereupon the head was removed, and a sufficient 
supply was transported to the upper deck. Fortunately 
several casks of fresh water w^ere discovered, therefore their 
immediate wants were supplied. They had no means of 
lighting a tire until a further search should yield the mate- 
rials, therefore they breakfasted off biscuits and uncooked 
salt beef, and never had they eaten with better appetites. 
Nero feasted upon biscuits soaked in water, with a few 
pieces of small chopped meat. 

Having satisfied their hunger, Ned carefully surveyed 
their position. The vessel was lying upon a sunken reef, 
many portions of which were within two or three feet of 
the surface. About two miles from this spot there was a 
long but narrow reef that formed a coral island, to which 
Ned at once determined to transport all that they would re- 
quire lest another storm should destroy the wreck. From 
this reef he trusted they might be able to reach the main 
land. 

Without any delay both he and Tim set to work. Sev- 
eral empty water-casks were floating about in the fore-hold, 
and having selected ten, Ned, with Tim’s assistance, suc- 
ceeded in lashing them together with spars, so as to form a 
most buoyant raft, twenty-two feet long by ten in width. 
The sea had sunk to a complete calm by the afternoon ; 
and as the fore part of the vessel was thrown high upon the 
reef, it was rather above its natural level, therefore the wa- 
ter only covered the bottom cargo. Fortunately the lower 
deck was dry, as the ship having parted in the middle the 
water that she had shipped during the storm had run out 
when the sea subsided. When Ned descended he at once 
found the carpenter’s tool-chest, with a large quantity ot all 
kinds of stores, and forcing away the bulkheads he made 


222 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


use of the planks to cover the raft so as to form a deck. 
From sunrise to sunset the two lads worked without ceas- 
ing, by which time they had decked their vessel ; but much 
remained to be done. 

On the following morning they again set to work, and 
having discovered a spare boat’s mast among the carpen- 
ter’s stores they fitted it securely on the raft, and arranged 
a sail. At the same time Ned constructed a rude rudder 
with an oar, and improvised a false keel by running a plank 
perpendicularly through the deck, both fore and aft, so that 
it should project about three feet below the bottom of the 
raft, and thus prevent it from drifting to leeward. 

By the evening of the second day the raft was thorough- 
ly complete. Ned had arranged two empty water-casks 
amidships, to which the mast was lashed. Both he and 
Tim then busied themselves in carrying fresh water in buck- 
ets from the full casks on board the wreck, until they had 
completely filled the casks on the raft. 

Every thing was in perfect order by the evening of the 
second day, and Ned looked forward to the morrow with 
eagerness, as he would then try the sea-going properties of 
their vessel. 

Before sunrise both Ned and Tim were engaged in col- 
lecting all that they considered useful. They had discover- 
ed a couple of double-barrelled guns among the gunner’s 
stores ; and having selected half a dozen good muskets and 
pistols, they took a barrel of gunpowder, a hundred flints, 
and a large quantity of bullets and shot, together with a 
couple of cutlasses and a quantity of fishing-tackle, including 
a shark-hook and harpoon. They then emptied the carpen- 
ter’s chest, together with several of the sailor’s boxes, and 
carried them to the raft, where they stowed them around 
the mast, after which they replaced the tools in the carpen- 
ter’s chest, and filled the others with biscuits and salt bee£ 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


223 


Tim, having been cook’s mate, did not forget his pots 
and pans, but visited the galley, and selected a good kettle 
and a couple of saucepans, with a gridiron. By noon they 
were ready to sail, and having carried down a large parcel 
of the best clothes they could select from the sailors’ kits, 
together with a supply of needles, thread, buttons, etc., they 
placed several large sails upon their cargo, that would after- 
ward serve as an awning on shore, with a quantity of small 
spars and ropes, and pushed off from the wreck. 

The wind was light and the sea smooth ; thus the raft, 
although very heavily laden, sailed easily, without wetting 
her cargo ; and as the breeze set directly toward the coral 
island, there was no difficulty in the navigation. The two 
boys were in high spirits at the success of their raft, which 
both sailed and steered well ; and although alone on the 
wild east coast of Africa, with no other companion than the 
dog Nero, such is the elasticity of youth, and the excite- 
ment of vanquishing a difficulty, that they were for the mo- 
ment thoroughly happy and free from every care. 

The water was as clear as glass, and as they passed over 
the coral reefs at various depths they could be seen be- 
low like gardens of brilliant flowers glistening with every 
color, while the fish of many kinds, also varying in bright 
colors of gold, red, and blue, swam in large shoals among the 
coral groves, and sometimes sprang high from the water 
in their delight at the warm sun and the calm surface of 
the sea. 

Sailing quietly along the beautiful gardens of the deep 
the raft approached the coral island, which appeared to form 
the centre of the surrounding shallow reefs. It was a long 
and perfectly flat island, that might be upward of a mile in 
extent, although not many hundred yards in width ; it was 
protected by an outer reef, which girded the island like an 
artificial outwork upon which the waves broke as upon a 


224 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


breakwater, and left a perfectly smooth harbor within, but 
extremely shallow. Such are the wonderful works of the 
minute coral insects, those apparently insignificant but 
mighty engineers, whose works are never washed away, and 
who alone can safely struggle with the power of the ocean. 

Although the sea was calm, the swell broke with consid- 
srable force upon the outer reef, and it required some cau- 
tion in coasting along the line, until an entrance could be 
discovered through the natural breakwater. The raft now 
felt the advantage of Ned’s false keel, without which it 
must have drifted directly upon the reef. 

After having coasted about a quarter of a mile a gap 
was discovered in the reef, through which the raft safely 
steered, and in the next minute they found themselves in a 
perfectly calm basin of crystal water of that beautiful pale 
green that is exhibited in the precious stone called aqua- 
marina. The basin was shallow, and once or twice the 
planks that formed the false keel touched the rocky bottom 
as the raft slowly glided over the lovely corals, and disturb- 
ed the numerous fish. Beautiful shells were seen among 
the coral branches, while in many places large rocks were 
entirely covered with dense masses of oysters, that looked 
as though they had swarmed like a hive of bees. Many 
delicate but widely-spreading branches of coral were a bril- 
liant scarlet ; others were a deep blue, some were variega- 
ted with several colors. But Tim, who could not resist the 
temptation of dragging some on board, quickly discovered 
the deception, as the bright tint rapidly faded upon being 
exposed to the air ; these flowers of the ocean, like the flow- 
ers of the earth, soon lost their beauty when broken from 
the stem. 

Gliding over this fairy-like sea they neared the island, 
and as the water was very shallow Ned took in the sail, and 
both boys jumping overboard they gently towed the raft 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA. 


225 


to the land, and moored it to a large mass of coral. There 
was no necessity for precaution, as the natural but well-pro- 
tected harbor could never be disturbed ; and the island, that 
was flat and sandy, was perfectly uninhabited. A large 
quantity of drift timber, portions of the wreck, had drifted 
through the gap, some of which was stranded on the island, 
while much was still floating in the calm basin; among 
other things Ned observed a box that had evidently belong- 
ed to the late frigate. As the raft was secured, and both 
boys were already wet, they waded toward the case and 
dragged it from the water. It was a strong and well-finish- 
ed oak chest, and being locked they were obliged to break 
it open. It contained several suits of officers’ clothes : with 
shirts, socks, shoes, a looking-glass, brushes and combs, a 
brace of beautiful pistols with ten-inch barrels carrying an 
ounce ball, a bag of bullets, powder-flask, a telescope, sex- 
tant, and compass, a silver pint drinking-cup, and a Prayer- 
book and Bible, in the latter of which was written the 
name, “ James Stevens.” 

“ Jem Stevens’s chest !” exclaimed Ned, in astonish- 
ment. “ What luck to find the sextant and the compass !” 
he continued, as he examined both the instruments, of which 
he had fortunately learned the use when on board the Sj 
Mile and the Forte. 

Tim had in the mean time taken the looking-glass, in 
which he was scrutinizing his own countenance with evi- 
dent satisfaction ; but upon hearing that it was Stevens’s 
property that had thus fortuitously come into their posses- 
sion, he burst into a fit of laughing, exclaiming, “ Ha, ha ! 
Tim knows. Debbel take care of Massa Stevens, God take 
eare of Massa Ned, send him Massa Stevens’s chest ! Ha, 
Jia, ha !” continued the delighted Tim, “ what Massa Stevens 
do ? Get no chest ! no clothes ! no looking-glass ! can’t see 
his ugly face ! Ha, ha, ha ! don’t want Massa Stevens, got 


226 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


his chest. Debbel catch Massa Stevens, Tim catch his box 3 
Ha, ha ! dat’s what Tim call de right ting ’xactly !” 

No one would have supposed from Tim’s merriment that 
they were two wretched castaways on a desolate coral reef 
upon the savage coast of Africa. Although Ned did not 
share the full extent of Tim’s hilarity, he was delighted at 
the inestimable treasure that had fallen into his hands in 
the shape of a sextant and compass, which was further in- 
creased by the discovery of a small bottle of mercury and 
trough for an artificial horizon, which had been packed up 
by the optician in case astronomical observations' on shore 
should be requisite. Not only were the instruments of vital 
importance, but the box likewise contained the Nautical Al- 
manac and the charts of the Indian Ocean, including the 
east coast of Africa, together with drawing and writing 
materials. Next in value to the astronomical instruments 
was the brace of excellent pistols. 

People in civilized life have but a faint idea of the hap. 
piness that such an unexpected treasure can afford. Riches 
depend upon their actual value, and at that moment all the 
gold of the earth would have been utterly useless to Ned*, 
but under their present circumstances no gift could have 
equalled that which had providentially fallen into their 
hands. Rejoiced at their good-fortune the boys commenced 
work, and having fixed four poles into the ground, which 
they had brought from the ship for that purpose, they 
steadied them by cross-pieces firmly lashed across, over 
which they stretched a couple of sails, which, being doub- 
led, effectually protected them from the burning sun ; the 
roof of their tent being completed, they strained the canvas 
upon either side at an angle, and pegged it to the ground. 
In some places the rock preventing them from driving in 
the pegs, accordingly they rolled large masses of coral into 
convenient positions, to which they attached the cords that 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA . 


22 ? 


stretched the sides of their tent. They now arranged 3 
few chests which they carried with some difficulty from 
the raft ; and having heaped up two masses of sand in an 
oblong shape like raised asparagus beds, they threw a sail 
over each, and forming a pillow by an extra hillock at the 
end, they completed a couple of couches more roomy and 
comfortable than the hammocks in which they had been ac- 
customed to swing on board the frigate. 

By the time their work was complete they were hungry 
and thirsty. Taking a draught of water they determined 
to boil a jriece of beef, and choosing a nice fat joint from 
their stock, Tim collected a quantity of firewood from the 
drift- timber on the shore while Ned prepared a fire. He 
had no tinder, neither were there any small twigs nor any 
thing that is requisite to light a fire ; however, they had 
plenty of wood, and as some fragments of deal cases had 
been cast ashore, and thoroughly dried in the sun, he select- 
ed a piece with a straight grain, and with his large and 
sharp knife that hung from his side he split it into fine 
slips ; he then took a plane from the tool-chest, and with 
another portion of the wood he supplied a few handfuls 
of fine shavings. Cutting off a portion of dry canvas 
from the ragged end of a sail, he bruised about a tea- 
spoonful of gunpowder, with which he rubbed the sail- 
cloth until it was perfectly blackened; he then spread a 
small pinch of powder on the surface as he placed it in 
the pan of an unloaded musket, and pulled the trigger. 
In an instant it ignited and burned fiercely. Ned now 
rolled up the burning cloth, and placed it in the centre 
of the shavings like a bouquet, which he swung rapidly 
round with the full force of his arm until the draught of 
air fanned it into a blaze; upon this he placed the small 
wood that he had already prepared, and as it readily took 
fire he piled cautiously larger pieces in proportion to the 


228 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


strength of the flame, until a large oaken log at length resfc 
ed on the top of the pile. 

The fire now blazed brightly, about ten yards distant 
from the tent. It was near sunset, and the great neat of 
the day was past. There were no sharks in the shallow wa- 
ter within the outer reef, therefore Ned took off his clothes 
to bathe while Tim was cooking the dinner. He plunged 
into the clear water, and revelled in the luxury of a bath, 
especially as he would be able to change his clothes and en- 
joy a clean shirt from Jem Stevens’s stock. He dare not 
put his feet to the bottom on account of the sharp coral 
and shells ; but having incautiously done so as he was com- 
ing out, he discovered that the object that had cut his foot 
was a huge mass of fine oysters cemented together so as to 
form a rock of about two hundred-weight. Calling to Tim 
for assistance, after much labor by their joint exertions 
they rolled it to the shore, and surveyed their prize in some 
perplexity, as the oysters were curiously contorted, and 
most difficult to open. Ned had already broken the point 
of his good knife when an idea happily struck him. “ Give 
a hand, Tim,” he cried, “ and let’s roll the rock close to lee- 
ward of the fire ; the wind will blow the heat upon it, and 
the oysters will open by themselves!” 

“ Massa Ned know de trick !” replied Tim, exultingly, 
as he put his shoulder to the work, and they presently rolled 
the rock to the desired position. The heat was intense; 
the surface of the mass first became dry, tben several oys- 
ters gaped widely, and in a few minutes the example was 
generally followed, and as Ned turned the other side toward 
the fire the entire rock bristled with gaping shells. 

Tim was delighted, and enjoyed the feast; but being a 
cook he contrived a good dish, and stewed some of the oys- 
ters with broken captain’s biscuits and small portions of 
salt beef. Salt they had none, but they had a fire, a kettle, 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


229 


and t ho -ea- water ; thus they kept the kettle boiling briskly, 
which they re-filled as it evaporated, until the brine became 
strong, when it was boiled nearly dry, and a considerable 
supply of salt was procured of excellent quality. 

After an excellent dinner, which they finished as the full 
moon rose, Ned determined to discover the latitude by the 
meridian altitude of a star; accordingly he walked some 
distance from the blazing fire, and looking attentively at the 
heavens, he singled out Capella as the brightest star near 
the meridian. After a careful observation with the sextant 
he completed his calculations, and found that the reef upon 
which they stood was situated in south latitude 10° 30'. 

He could only guess vaguely at the longitude ; but upon 
considering the run of the frigate during the hurricane, 
upon reference to the chart of the east coast of Africa, he 
came to the conclusion that their position was not more 
than fifty miles from the main land, and that the current 
must have carried the ship into the northern mouth of the 
Mozambique Channel, to the west of the extreme point of 
Madagascar. The latitude of Zanzibar was 7° 20'. This 
being a Portuguese settlement, Ned hoped to reach it 
either by sea should the wind be fair, or should they gain 
the main land he trusted to arrive there on foot. In either 
case the voyage upon the raft would be most hazardous ; 
but as the weather would most probably be settled after 
the recent storm, Ned resolved to start without loss of time, 
lest the present fair wind should change. He accordingly 
communicated his intention to Tim, and he arranged to 
start on the following morning. The night was cool and 
delightful, and as bright as the full moon of the tropics 
could shine, without a cloud. Ned wished to stroll round 
the narrow island before he left on the morrow, therefore, 
calling Tim and Nero to accompany him, he 'walked along 
the edge of the coral reef. 


230 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


They had proceeded about half a mile when they arrived 
at a. spot where the rock was no longer abrupt ; but a beau 
tiful snow-white sand, the debris of wasted and wave-worn 
coral, formed a wide shelving beach for some hundred yards 
in length. Upon this plain white surface were a number 
of low dark objects that looked like casks, which, washed 
ashore, had become half imbedded in the sand. The near- 
est was about a hundred yards from them, and as they ap- 
proached to their astonishment it began to move toward 
the sea. 

“ Turtle !” shouted Ned, as he dashed forward to cut off 
the creature’s retreat. “ Go at him, Nero !” he cried, as the 
dog shot ahead of his master in the race. In a few seconds 
Nero was vainly attempting to hold by the hard and slip- 
pery shell ; but as the turtle had withdrawal its head under 
cover, it stopped until Ned arrived, when he dexterously 
turned it upon its back. In the mean time Tim had run on 
and cut off the retreat of several others, which he had turn, 
ed upon their backs, in which position they Avould be help- 
less until righted. In about a quarter of an hour eight large 
turtle had been thus captured, and Ned quickly discovered 
that this bank of fine sand was a favorite spot for deposit- 
ing their eggs. There were numerous holes that had been 
freshly scraped in the sand to a depth of about eighteen 
inches; in some of these were several hundreds of eggs, 
that had been laid from time to time during the nocturnal 
visits of the turtles. These curious creatures are in the 
habit of visiting the shore after sunset, but seldom or nev- 
er during the heat of the day, during which they remain 
either floating lazily on the surface of the water or in 
the cooler depths below. At night the female seeks some 
sandy beach, in w T hich with her horny head and fins she ex- 
cavates a hole some distance above high-water mark : in 
this she lays the number of eggs that may be ready for the 


CAST UP BY TILE SEA. 


231 


deposit, after which she carefully covers them with sand, 
and conceals the recent excavation. Every night she re- 
turns to the same spot and re-opens the hole, in which she 
deposits a fresh batch of eggs, as a hen daily visits her 
nest, until from three to six hundred have been laid. When 
the number is complete the female leaves the nest to the ac- 
tion of the sand heated by the sun’s rays, and by this sim- 
ple process of incubation the young turtles, when no larger 
than a crown piece, free themselves from the eggs and 
work their way through the sand. Upon arrival at the sur- 
face they follow their natural instincts, and scramble to the 
sea in crowds, where a great portion are devoured, not only 
by the larger fish but by other turtles. The eggs are good 
eating, and are extremely rich ; as the exterior is never hard 
like the egg of a bird, but is tough and flexible like fine 
white kid, they are easily packed without danger of break- 
age. 

Ned rejoiced in this unlooked-for supply of fresh food 
for their voyage. Several turtles could easily be' stowed 
upon the raft, and be kept alive by simply pouring a few 
buckets of sea water over them during the day. Food they 
would not require, as the stomach of the turtle has a won- 
derful power of contraction ; and one of the peculiarities of 
this creature is, that he can continue for many days without 
eating, and still retain its original weight, if only wetted 
with salt water. 

Ned determined to leave his immovable captives on their 
backs during the night, and to call for them with the raft 
early on the following morning, as he perceived a much 
wider and more practicable outlet from the reef than that 
by which the raft had entered. It was through this wide 
entrance that the waves had washed the sand that allured 
the turtles as a resting-place. 

Delighted with their evening’s work, Ned and Tim re- 


232 


CAST UP BY THE SEA 


turned to their tent, and in the cool and bright night they 
replaced the chests upon the raft, struck the tent, and got 
every thing on board in readiness for their departure at 
sunrise. At the same time they did not forget to lay a 
piece of canvas upon the deck, on which they piled about 
two hundred-weight of sand. The canvas beneath was to 
prevent the sand from running through the crevices be- 
tween the planks, and disappearing like water through a 
leak: the pile of sand was to be the foundation for the 
cooking-fire. After this, all was completed by the stowage 
of a quantity of fire-wood around the foot of the mast. 

Ned rose after a sound sleep in the fresh open air. The 
stars were still faintly twinkling in the gray sky, and the 
moon was bright, although as pale as frosted silver. It was 
an hour before sunrise, and he woke Tim, who was snoring 
like a young pig. 

As all preparations for departure had been wisely made 
on the previous day, there was nothing to be done but to 
shove the raft off the shore, and with a delightful breeze the 
sail filled, and they glided pleasantly along the smooth wa- 
ter. In about ten minutes they arrived at the sandy beach, 
where they found their turtles as they had left them. Some 
were so heavy that they could hardly carry them ; but as 
the great object was to keep a supply of fresh provisions, 
they rejected the largest, and selected three that weighed 
about seventy pounds each. These they carried down to 
the raft, and then turned the rejected and heavier turtles 
upon their flappers, which they at once made use of by wad- 
dling down t@ the water, in which they disappeared. 

Both Ned and Tim hurried in their work, and they were 
not long in collecting several hundred eggs, which they 
stowed in one of their chests. They then set sail. 

The exit from the basin was broad, and as the wind was 
fair, the raft steered into the open sea without any difficul- 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


233 


ty. The extra weight of the turtles, and the sand, fire-wood, 
etc., had made the raft so heavy that Ned determined to 
steer for the nearest shore. He therefore directed the 
course due west, in the hope of reaching the African coast 
within about fifty or sixty miles. The wind being light 
was extremely favorable, as the sea was smooth, and the 
steady pressure upon the sail propelled the raft at about 
three miles an hour. Although this appeared tedious, Ned 
computed that twenty hours of even progress would bring 
them to the land, and he only trusted in the continuance of 
the breeze. 

The raft was well supplied : they had about eighty gal- 
lons of water, which would last twenty days at a fair con- 
sumption for three, including that required for cooking. 
They had a large quantity (about 150 pounds) of salt beef, 
three turtles, and some hundred eggs. Thus there was no 
fear of starvation, and the only danger rested in foul weath- 
er. Ned arranged that one should sleep while the other 
steered in alternate watches of four hours, thus neither 
would be fatigued. 

It was about seven a.m. when the raft fairly cleared the 
coral island, and as she insensibly glided along the water 
they soon lost sight of the wreck of the frigate, and then of 
the hospitable but dangerous reef; around them was the 
sea horizon, with the burning sun above. While Ned had 
the helm Tim placed some thickly-folded sails across the 
chests and barrels, and creeping into the shade beneath he 
soon fell fast asleep. At the expiration of the watch he re- 
lieved Ned, who in his turn crept into the snug shade and 
slept till three p.m., when he once more took the helm. 

The evening came, and with it the same cloudless sky 
and the bright stars. At length the moon rose, and contin- 
ued with them throughout the night, and the wind blew 
steadily, but a little fresher than before ; the water rippled 


234 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


as the raft increased its speed. Nothing could be more 
beautiful than the night ; they floated quietly on as thougn 
in a dream, and the placid sea glistened tranquilly in the 
moonlight, and looked as though it must forever rest in 
peace. 

As Ned stood at the helm alone, and his faithful compan- 
ion and his dog sleeping side by side, he looked steadfastly 
at the heavens and their countless revolving worlds, and 
with a heart overflowing with gratitude he fervently thank- 
ed the Almighty Creator for the preservation of his life, 
and prayed for His help and guidance in the unknown path 
before him. The breeze blew steadily and fresh, and the 
night passed away ; the raft had never altered her course 
from the west; once more it was Ned’s turn at the helm 
before the sun rose. 

A haze from the sea covered the horizon; the morning 
was gray, and the first red streaks shone low upon the 
eastern sky ; the wind was taint, and the raft moved slow- 
ly forward. The morn grew lighter, and soon the crimson 
flashes in the east turned to a golden blaze as the sun rose 
glorious from its ocean bed awakened for the day. The 
haze dissolved as the warmth increased, and clear and blue 
the long wished-for scene burst upon Ned’s view. “ Land !” 
he shouted. Tim sprang from his hard couch at the start- 
ling sound, and Nero too rose, and, although ignorant of 
the cause, the dog shared the enthusiasm of his master. 

Apparently not far distant were lofty mountains, the 
outlines of which were sharply defined upon the sky as the 
sun shone vividly upon them. Within six miles of the raft 
the shore was distinctly visible ; unfortunately, at this mo- 
ment it fell calm, and the sail hung listlessly upon the mast 
at the very time when they longed for a brisk breeze to 
conclude their voyage. Ned determined to lighten the raft 
and to paddle her forward with oars; accordingly, they 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


235 


threw overboard the sand and fire-wood, together with a 
quantity of the salt beef, also one of the heavy chests ; this 
made a great difference in the buoyancy of the vessel. The 
water was the heaviest portion of the cargo, but this they 
dare not waste, as there might be no supply on shore. 
“ Throw over some more beef,” cried Ned ; “ we have three 
turtles, and biscuits enough to last a couple of months.” 

Tim looked wistfully at the good beef, as one by one he 
threw the large pieces overboard. 

“ Dat’s enuff, Massa Ned,” said he ; “ don’t trow all de 
good meat away : ’pose we get hungry one day, eh ?” 

“ Suppose the wind should change and blow off the shore 
before we land,” replied Ned, “what will become of us? 
We must lighten the raft as much as possible ; throw all 
the beef overboard except half a dozen pieces ; then heave 
the heavy chest away likewise.” 

Tim obeyed the order in exceedingly low spirits, and 
being of a careful disposition, and deeply interested in the 
commissariat arrangements, he pushed the large chest over- 
board first, after he had emptied the contents, and then he 
reluctantly threw another piece of beef into the clear water. 
Hardly had the joint splashed into the sea, when a dull 
cloud-like appearance was seen in the deep water close to 
the raft ; this became more dense, until a distinct and huge 
brown object rose rapidly to the surface, and turning upon 
its side, a long white belly was exposed as it opened its 
huge jaws and swallowed the piece of beef that Tim had 
just thrown overboard. It was an enormous shark, and as 
the water was as clear as crystal it could be distinguished 
as minutely as though it were in a glass case as a specimen 
— the long scimiter-shaped back fin frequently protruded 
above the surface as it swam fearlessly and apparently lazily 
around the raft, with its large white eyes gleaming as it 
hunted for fresh prey. 


236 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


“ Oh my eye, Massa Ned !” cried Tim, “ dere’s a big 
shark been and swallered de beef ! Tank God Tim’s not 
de beef !” 

“ Shoot him with one of the muskets,” cried Ned, who 
was at the helm, and on the instant Tim snatched a loaded 
musket from the chest in which they were stowed, but upon 
second thoughts he laid it down, and diving among the 
miscellaneous articles in the carpenter’s tool-box, he quickly 
produced a large shark-hook about sixteen inches long; a 
chain of about two feet in length was already attached with 
a swivel, and Tim with great quickness fastened it to a 
rope. 

Having prepared his tackle within a couple of minutes, 
he now stuck a fat and tempting piece of beef upon the 
hook ; but the shark had disappeared ! 

“ Why didn’t you shoot him as I told you ?” asked Ned; 
“ now we’ve lost him !” 

Tim replied by throwing his large bait far into the water, 
and the fat beef could be distinctly seen deep below as it 
hung about four fathoms beneath the surface. 

“ He’ll come again, Massa Ned,” said Tim, “ don’t be 
’fraid — if he see Tim take a swim, de shark come catch him 
quick, I knows : now Tim catch de shark. I seed him when 
he swim round de raft, winked his big eyes, he thought 
‘Dere’s Tim, like to swaller ’im !’ Now, Massa Ned, wait 
a little, see Tim swaller de shark.” 

As Tim gave this little programme of the entertainment 
he slowly drew in the line, and as the piece of white beef 
came near the surface several small fish striped like perch, 
of about two pounds’ weight, followed the bait, which hav- 
ing smelt, they darted away as though afraid. “ Ha, ha !” 
exclaimed Tim, “ his little frens gone to tell him Tim cook- 
ed de beef ready ; now de shark won’t be long !” 

Tim was well up in shark-fishing, as he had seen many 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


237 


caught ; and as he saw the arrival of the pilot-fish that al- 
most invariably accompany the shark he was not wrong in 
expecting its return. In a short time the monster issued 
from directly beneath the raft where he had most probably 
been concealed, and shimming slowly toward the bait he 
first smelt it, then with a quick and sudden turn he bolted 
it, together with the hook and chain, and dashed off into 
the deep water. 

“ Ha, ha !” roared Tim, “ now’s got it tight ! now Tim 
swaller de shark !” at the same time he allowed the rope to 
run from the coil on deck until about eighty yards had been 
expended ; then, as the fish had halted and turned, he drew 
in some slack line, with which he took a turn round the 
base of the mast ; after this he drew in line hand over hand 
until he felt a tug that would have pulled Tim overboard 
had he been unprepared, and away dashed the shark once 
more. This time Tim was determined to make him work 
for his line, and having grasped the rope between a portion 
of a sail to prevent it from chafing his hands, he held on 
with all his might, and merely allowed it to slip through 
his grasp as he felt himself compelled. 

The fish was not many feet shorter than the raft, and as 
he ran out the entire length of line that Tim had fastened 
to the mast he now dragged the raft slowly along in what- 
ever direction he chose to take. As it was perfectly calm 
Ned left the helm and came to Tim’s assistance, and the 
two strong lads of sixteen gave the shark some trouble, as 
they hauled together on the line with all their might. At 
times they were obliged to let the fish run, until once more 
it had regained the full extent of the rope ; but as the raft 
acted as a buoy against which the shark had to pull, it be- 
came exhausted, and the united strength of Ned and Tim 
at length prevailed. 

For about half an hour the struggle had continued, when 


238 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


having hauled in the greater portion of the line, the shark 
was seen within ten yards of the raft ; it still persisted in 
keeping in the depths ; but as the two lads were equally de- 
termined that it should come to the surface, they hauled 
away with such vigor that by degrees the immense creature 
was secured by a short rope, and it lashed about in the rage 
of its capture within a few feet of the raft. Ned now pre- 
pared a bow line which he threw over the shark, and slip- 
ping it cleverly over the tail, he drew the noose tight, and 
fastened the line to the stern of the raft. 

“ Now, Tim, give me a musket,” cried Ned, as he tied 
the knot, “ and I’ll finish him oft.” 

In an instant Tim handed the musket, and Ned went to 
the centre of the raft to obtain as close a shot as possible 
at the nape of the neck, if we may so describe that portion 
of a shark where the first vertebra of the spine is connect- 
ed with the head. Taking a steady shot at a moment when 
the fish was quiet, Ned fired, and the shark gave a convul- 
sive shudder, and then stiffened like a log of timber, as 
every muscle strained in the pang of death ; the ball had 
divided the spine at its junction with the brain. 

Ned and Tim now surveyed their prize in triumph as it 
lay by the side of the raft ; it was about seventeen feet in 
length, and so heavy as to be perfectly unmanageable. Tim 
proposed that they should cut off as much as they required 
for food, and then let the carcass adrift. Ned did not see 
the force of the argument : as they had just thrown the 
beef overboard to lighten the raft, why should they ex- 
change weight for weight ? They were thus arguing the 
question, when an event occurred which relieved them from 
the d'fiiculty. As Ned looked toward the shore, which ap- 
peared much nearer, as a current had taken them closer to 
the land, he was surprised to see hurrying toward them six 
canoes, which he had not before observed, as he had been 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


239 


so busily engaged in the capture of the shark ; they were 
about a mile distant, and there could be no question that 
the raft was the object of their attention. 

Although both Ned and Tim expected assistance upon 
arrival on the shore, they were somewhat disturbed at the 
appearance of so many canoes, and they immediately held 
a council of war. Tim was as brave as a lion, and was 
ready for a fight should Ned only give the word; but the 
latter wisely considered that fighting should only be resort- 
ed to in the last extremity. They were utterly helpless, 
unless they could make friends ; therefore it was of the first 
importance that they should establish amicable relations 
with the natives. Having well considered their position, 
Ned determined to load all the muskets, and be prepared 
for a resolute defense should it be necessary ; at the same 
time he cautioned Tim that he should avoid all chances of 
dispute. The muskets and double-barrelled guns were 
quickly in order; spare ammunition was arranged so that 
it would be immediately at hand, and Ned loaded Jem Ste- 
vens’s handsome pistols, which he at once stuck in his 
belt. 

The canoes approached with great quickness, and with 
the telescope Ned discovered them to be full of blacks. 

“ If dey real niggers, Massa Ned, we make ’em frens,” 
exclaimed Tim. “ Tim knows de niggers ; fill de nigger’s 
belly, make de nigger frens ; dat’s de trick ’xactly ! Tim 
knows ! fill de nigger’s belly wid de shark ! dat’s de trick 
; 'xactly ; niggers dance and sing when dey see de big shark.” 

There was much truth in Tim’s philosophy. 


CHAPTER XIV. 


HE canoes, quickiy paddled by a number of men, near* 



-A- e d the raft, which still lay helplessly becalmed. As 
the leading boat approached within a hundred yards both 
Ned and Tim made signs of friendship, and as the latter 
was as black as themselves, the negroes no longer hesitated 
to come alongside. Tim now called to them in his own 
language, which they did not appear to understand, but a 
small amount of pantomime quickly explained the capture 
of the shark, and as they caught sight of the huge fish 
floating in the water, they paddled rapidly to the raft. 

Without a moment’s hesitation many leaped on board, 
and, hardly noticing Ned or Tim, they seized upon the 
shark, and with their sharp lances, which they used as 
knives, they at once began to separate the flesh from the 
bones. There was a third party, however, who had no idea 
of submission to this sudden invasion of the raft ; this was 
Nero, who, having bristled up his back at the rude intru- 
sion, presently fastened his teeth in the naked thigh of a 
savage who had roughly run against him. In an instant 
the negroes sprang back to their canoes in fear, as, never 
having seen a powerful Newfoundland dog, they had no 
idea that Nero belonged to the race, and they regarded 
him as a ferocious animal. 

At this sudden retreat Tim burst into a roar of laughter, 
while Nero barked his loudest at the discomfited blacks 
until he was quieted by Ned. Tim’s merriment quickly 
restored confidence, but not a negro would again venture 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


241 


upon the raft, and they set to work in earnest upon the 
shark from their canoes. 

In a much shorter time than could be imagined they had 
divided the flesh into large pieces, which were distributed 
among the canoes ; these were heavily laden : then cutting 
off the head for the sake of the teeth, which they prized as 
ornaments, they allowed the bones to sink, and taking the 
raft in tow, they paddled to the shore in high spirits, sing- 
ing and chattering in delight at the prey they had unex- 
pectedly gained. 

A heavy surf drove upon some reefs that protected the 
land, but the canoes avoided the danger by passing through 
an opening which presently led them into still water ; this 
narrow bay ran inland for a considerable distance, and was 
surrounded upon all sides by dense groves of cocoa-nut 
palms. 

The water was beautifully clear, and as Ned looked over 
the side he could distinctly see the bottom at a depth of 
about twenty feet ; this was a mass of coral, and the low 
shore around appeared to be of the same peculiar forma- 
tion ; it had become covered with a poor sandy soil, upon 
which the cocoa-nut palm invariably thrives. 

The canoes towed the raft for about half a mile along 
this lovely inlet, until, bending to the left, a small village of 
circular huts was observed close to the water’s edge, be- 
neath the shade of the cocoa palms ; to this spot the ca- 
noes slowly paddled, as the raft was heavy, and they were 
themselves deeply laden. 

A long, shrill, tremulous cry was now raised by a crowd 
of women who stood upon the bank to welcome them, and 
as the canoes touched the shore many sprang into the wa- 
ter and assisted to unload them, which they completed with 
wonderful quickness, and laid the masses of fish upon a 
row of neat palm mats, which had been immediately pro 


242 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


pared. As the women were naked, with the exception of a 
small ornament, composed of fringe and cowrie-shells that 
formed a short apron from the hips, they could move with 
great activity, and they took to the w r ater and washed 
themselves like amphibious animals after they had arranged 
the oily fish upon the mats. They would now have un- 
loaded the raft had not Nero barked angrily as they ap- 
proached, which sent them hurrying back amid the laughter 
of the crowd of men, who had been similarly repelled when 
they first boarded from their canoes. 

Ned and Nero, the white boy and the black dog, were 
now the objects of the women’s curiosity. As Nero could 
protect the raft, that was now moored to a palm-tree close 
to the shore, Ned jumped on land and took his seat beneath 
a shady tree, at the same time he made signs to the crowd 
that they should sit down. At this moment a girl brought 
him a new mat, neatly woven with the split leaves of palms, 
upon which he was requested to sit instead of on the bare 
ground. He now attempted to explain by signs and gest- 
ures the shipwreck and their escape. The chief now ap- 
peared ; he was a gray-headed old man, of a tall and com- 
manding figure. Upon his arrival Ned rose from his seat 
and offered him his hand, but instead of receiving it accord- 
ing to European custom, he took both his hands and raised 
them three times above his head as the native form of wel- 
come ; he then made a sign that Ned should resume his seat, 
upon which he also sat down upon a leopard-skin that one 
of his followers carried for that purpose. Once more Ned 
was obliged to go through the pantomime that he had al- 
ready performed, to explain the accident that had befallen 
them ; in this he was assisted by a number of volunteers, 
who conceived that they had understood the story : accord- 
ingly they broke in upon the conversation as interpreters, 
and concluded by a general chaos of noise and confusion. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


243 


The palaver ended by the old chief’s expressing a wish 
to examine the raft : accordingly Nero was whistled for by 
Ned, and as he came bounding toward him the whole crowd 
took to their heels in a general panic. The old chief had 
followed the example ; but being at length reassured as 
Ned fastened the dog to a tree, he ventured on board the 
raft with a few of his people, the rest of the crowd obeying 
his orders by keeping at a respectful distance. Ned ex- 
hibited the various articles that he had saved from the 
wreck, but nothing pleased the old chief so much as the 
sailcloth, of which he immediately begged a portion. A 
large sail was at once presented to him, which he order- 
ed to be carried to his hut. It was now proposed by the 
chief that the raft should be unloaded, and the stores ar- 
ranged within a hut set apart for that purpose, while 
another dwelling should be prepared for Ned and Tim. 
There could be no objection to this ; as the two lads were 
entirely in the power of the natives, the best policy was 
to secure the chief’s good-will, therefore Ned at once ac- 
ceded to the proposal. A number of men were called, 
and the process of discharging cargo was quickly accom- 
plished. 

Two huts were set apart for Ned and Tim with their 
effects, in one of which the heavy luggage was stowed, 
while the tool-chest, ammunition, and Jem Stevens’s box 
were placed in Ned’s own hut, together with the guns. 

Ned’s hut was exceedingly pretty. Like all the others 
it was circular, and about fifteen feet in diameter ; the walls 
were formed of large bamboos neatly fixed together like 
the pipes of an organ ; the inside was smeared with a 
mixture of clay and cow^dung, with which the floor was 
thickly cemented, and the roof W'as built of a frame-work 
of bamboos neatly thatched with plaited palm-leavea 
Around the two huts was an inclosed garden, in which 
16 


244 


CAST UP BY THE SEa. 


were gourds and water-melons of different descriptions, 
these climbed as creepers over the high bamboo fence by 
which the little garden was inclosed on three sides, while 
the fourth was protected by the water, as the hut stood 
within a few yards of the margin. Although there was 
no view behind the hut, owing to tho height of the inclos- 
ure, the greater portion of the inlet could be seen from the 
front, from a beautiful position beneath a thick clump of 
palms which produced a delightful shade. 

Ned was well satisfied with their reception, and both he 
and Tim busied themselves in arranging their only room. 
A sail was spread upon the floor, upon which were laid two 
sleeping-mats ; beneath these the women placed a quantity 
of palm-leaves stripped from the stalks, which formed clean 
and comfortable beds. The large chests served for both 
chairs and table, and as bamboos were plentiful, Ned soon 
contrived a neat gun-rack, against which he placed a row of 
loaded muskets and the two double-barrelled guns. Pegs 
were then driven into the wall in many places, upon which 
were hung pistols and cutlasses, with the shark-hook, har- 
poon, and a variety of objects. 

After a couple of hours’ work, the hut was converted 
into a comfortable home. Tim, true to his occupation, ai v 
ranged his cooking utensils in the other hut, where he con- 
structed two simple fire-places, by cutting a trench in the 
floor about six inches deep, to create the draught, on either 
side of which he placed some blocks of coral to support his 
pots. 

Two of the turtles were secured by a rope to one fin, and 
were then allowed to enjoy themselves in the water, while 
the third was killed for the day’s consumption ; a portion 
of this was sent as a present to the old chief. 

Tim’s original proverb of “ fill de nigger’s belly, make 
de nigger frens,” was proved to be correct. There was 


VAST UP BY THE SEA. 


245 


great feasting in the village ; pots were boiling in all direc- 
tions filled with shark’s flesh and pumpkin, and the natives 
were in the best of humors, and had taken a great fancy to 
the new-comers. The women and girls were much struck 
with Ned’s handsome appearance : his rich fair hair and 
blue eyes had been discussed by a crowd of admiring ladies, 
who had already declared that he must become a member 
of their tribe. Tim was also a favorite ; his good-humor 
and fearless, straightforward manner had at once gained 
their confidence ; and the fact that the two lads unassisted 
had been able to capture so large a shark was in itself the 
best introduction to a people who held all hunting exploits 
in the highest estimation. 

It was their first night on shore, and Tim’s turtle-soup 
and boiled beef were nearly ready for dinner. He had cut 
the under-shell of the turtle into small pieces, which is the 
most delicate portion when well boiled ; this had been sim- 
mering for some hours, together with the green fat and a 
few of the turtle’s eggs. A quantity of red chilis grew in 
the garden : he had accordingly added sufficient of these 
hot peppers, with salt, and a species of wild thyme, with 
the peel and juice of small ripe lemons, that grew in profu- 
sion around the village. There were few better dishes than 
Tim’s turtle-soup when it appeared on table in a large 
gourd shell, steaming hot. They had no spoons; but Ned 
had strolled along the shore before dinner, and had collect- 
ed some long mussel-shells, which were admirable substi- 
tutes, and far more beautiful than silver. Ned had also 
scooped out some cocoa-nuts, and had converted them into 
drinking-cups. That night they mixed a little rum which 
they had saved from the wreck with cool water and fresh 
lime-juice, together with some honey which the chief had 
presented to them, and in this impromptu punch Ned silent 
ly drank the healths of all those left at home. 


246 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


When the moon rose the natives were sitting round their 
fires revelling in the feast, and the night was subsequently 
employed in singing and dancing, witli a beating of drums, 
blowing of horns, and the usual wild sounds that accom- 
pany savage festivities. 

Several weeks passed away, during which Ned employed 
himself, with Tim’s assistance, in perfecting his dwelling 
and arranging the gardens, w T hile his leisure hours were de- 
voted to fishing in one of the native canoes, and in shooting 
the wild fowl that swarmed upon a small lake within a mile 
of the coast. In all these excursions he was generally suc- 
cessful, and the return of his boat was eagerly looked for- 
ward to by the negroes, who had learned to regard him 
with much respect, especially as he supplied their wants 
and added to their commissariat. As time flew on Ned 
gained so high a position in the estimation of the old chief 
that he determined to give him one of his daughters in 
marriage ; and as matrimonial arrangements in those coun- 
tries are reduced to the most practical simplicity, Ned w^as 
one evening astonished, while sitting in his garden by the 
sea, upon observing a crowd of women, who advanced to- 
ward him raising the loud and thrilling cry that is used 
upon all joyful occasions. They led a p^tty young negress 
of about fourteen. As they approached two of the women 
brought her in advance of the crowd, who had now sat 
down, and upon arrival before Ned they took both his 
hands and placed them within those of the young girl, after 
■which they again raised their disagreeable cry, and the girl 
took her seat upon a mat by Ned’s side, who, not having 
received any warning of the intended ceremony, was at a 
loss to understand its meaning. A loud burst of laughter 
from Tim attracted his attention, and Tim’s mirth having 
in some degree subsided, he explained to Ned that this was 
the marriage ceremony of his own country, and common 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


247 


among many tribes : thus the young negress, who was the 
chiefs daughter, was now his wife. 

It would be impossible to express Ned’s astonishment 
and confusion when the girl suddenly rose, and throwing 
her arms round his neck, she half smothered him with her 
embrace. This was too much for Tim, who once more 
burst into a fit of merriment, at. the same time he exclaim- 
ed, “ Now Massa Ned got de nigger wife, wot Massa Ned’s 
moder say when take her home ? Ha, ha !” continued Tim, 
“why de chief not send Tim one wife? all for Massa Ned, 
noting for poor Tim; ’cos he’s black he get noting — nigger 
don’t like de nigger !” 

This was great fun for Tim, but very unpleasant for Ned, 
and he quickly found out the truth of the saying, that “it 
is much easier to get married than to get tmmarried.” 
Determined, however, that he would not be led like a lamb 
to the slaughter, he now rose from his seat, and taking the 
girl by the hand he led her through the village toward her 
father’s hut, accompanied not only by the women who had 
brought her, but by a great crowd, who followed them with 
the usual yelling to the old chief’s dwelling. 

Upon arrival at his hut the old man was found busily 
engaged in deciding a controversy between two of his peo- 
ple, but upon seeing the approaching crowd, headed by Ned 
and Tim, he immediately directed his attention to the depu- 
tation. Tim endeavored to act as interpreter, but to no pur- 
pose; then Ned attempted an explanation, which was so 
imperfectly understood that the chief imagined Ned was 
not satisfied with his daughter’s personal attractions. 

“ Ah !” he at length exclaimed, as an idea struck him as 
to the real cause, “ you do not like Fernina ; you shall have 
the ox-eyed Bokha instead. Here, Bokha !” he cried ; and 
almost immediately a large-eyed, handsome girl approached 
from a neighboring hut. 


248 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


“ Go to the white man and take his hand,” said the chief; 
“ and you, Fernina, go to your hut, he don’t like you.” But 
the latter had no idea of yielding her claims so easily, and 
she clung to Ned with a determination not to forsake her 
prize. At the same time the ox-eyed Bokha seized his 
hand, and Ned was fairly captured by the swarthy beauties, 
who at once commenced to quarrel for his possession. The 
women of the crowd now interfered ; some took the part 
of Fernina, others sided with Bokha, until the argument 
grew so hot that they proceeded to blows, and the authority 
of the old chief was obliged to be exercised without delay 
to quell the riot. “ Silence !” he cried, in a loud and com- 
manding voice, and at once the tumult ceased, and the chief, 
who was a Solomon in his way, addressed them. 

“ Women,” he said, “ the white man declines Fernina, but 
on the other hand she desires the white man : he would pre- 
fer the ox-eyed Bokha, she also desires the white man of the 
yellow hair ; do not quarrel among yourselves, for I have 
decided that he shall have them both , thus all parties will 
be satisfied.” 

Upon this judgment, delivered by their chief, a prolonged 
yell of satisfaction was raised by the crowd of women, in 
which the men also joined, and the two young girls, now 
rendered happy, held the unwilling Ned by each hand. 
Never did a marriage tie appear more binding than when 
he thus stood in the firm grasp of his would-be wives. It 
was in vain that he endeavored to offer an explanation : not 
one word was understood, until Tim once more came for- 
ward and apparently cleared the mystery, as the old chief 
drew a long breath, and having obtained silence, he ex« 
claimed, “ Ha, now I understand ; at length I understand ! 
The black lad also demands a wife ! he shall have one. 
Call Goolah of the thick lips !” 

Almost immediately a fat, unwieldy girl, whose name of 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


249 


the “ thick lips ” was thoroughly deserved, was led forward 
by two women to be presented. This was more than the 
patience of Ned could bear ; a third offering had now been 
added, although he had waited upon the king to decline the 
first ; he therefore led his two lady candidates to an empty 
hut, and made signs that they should enter, which they im- 
mediately did. “ Goolah of the thick lips ” was then re- 
quested to follow, and when all the three were within Ned 
closed the door, against which he placed with Tim’s assist- 
ance an immense block of coral. The wives were prisoners, 
and Ned, with unmistakable pantomime, explained to the old 
chief that they should remain in that hut, but that he would 
not accept them. Annoyed with the savage hospitality, 
Ned then hastily withdrew, and accompanied by Tim he re- 
turned to his own hut amid the silence and astonishment 
of the crowd. 

Some weeks had passed since this memorable occasion, 
and Ned had observed that the chief and also his people 
had much changed in their demeanor toward him ; they no 
longer came to sit and stare at him in crowds, neither did 
the chief visit him as he had done before, but he was evi- 
dently regarded with suspicion ; in fact, it could not be 
otherwise, as he had declined the offer of friendship that 
had been made by the old chief in presenting him with his 
daughters as wives. The women had taken a great dislike 
to him, as their vanity had been injured by his refusal to 
belong to the tribe through marriage. 

Under these circumstances Ned thought that it would 
be advisable, if possible, to escape from the negro hospitali- 
ty and march to Zanzibar, where the Portuguese had a set- 
tlement, whence he might perhaps obtain a passage to Eu- 
rope in some trading-vessel. He calculated that Zanzibar 
was about 200 miles distant ; thus, could he only follow the 
right direction by compass, he should be able to reach it in 


250 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


about twenty days. Should he decide upon this plan it 
would be impossible to carry any thing beyond ammunition ; 
all else would have to be forsaken. Tim was as faithful as 
the dog Nero ; thus all was quickly agreed upon, and it 
was decided that if possible they should escape on the fol- 
lowing day, by pretending to go upon a shooting excursion, 
from which they would not return. On more than one oc- 
casion Ned had requested the chief to supply him with a 
guide to Zanzibar, but he had always been met by some 
frivolous excuse, after he had been asked, “ why he wished 
to desert the tribe ?” and Ned felt that although external- 
ly civil, it had been inwardly determined that he should 
not forsake the country : thus he was merely a prisoner un- 
less he chose to enter the tribe by accepting a wife from 
the chief. 

Having determined to act, no time was lost in making 
preparations for escape. The great difficulty lay in the 
lack of means of transport ; but Ned was not to be beaten 
by any obstacle; thus he quickly decided upon the necessa- 
ry arrangements. His first work was to prepare two roomy 
knapsacks, which, with Tim’s assistance, he constructed from 
a piece of strong tarpaulin lined with canvas. lie then 
formed small saddle-bags of the same material, together 
with a soft pad, which he proposed to arrange on the back 
of Nero, who would be able to carry twelve pounds with 
great ease ; thus if he and Tim could carry forty pounds 
each, they could travel with ninety-two pounds’ weight of 
supplies. 

Great management would be necessary in the arrange- 
ment of the luggage ; accordingly he made six small tarpau- 
lin bags, into each of which he packed two pounds of gun- 
powder, making a stock of twelve pounds, in addition to 
one pound each that he and Tim were to carry in two horns, 
which he had fitted for that purpose when the last ox had 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


251 


been killed by the negroes. When the bags were filled he 
sewed them neatly up, and rendered the seams watertight 
by smearing them with the thick milk of the India-rubber 
trees, which grew in great abundance. This was a tree of 
the fig tribe, the milk of which exuded in large quantities 
from the bark when incised ; this rapidly evaporated, and 
became solid India-rubber when smeared upon any substance 
and exposed to the air, thus it formed an excellent water- 
proof packing when rubbed repeatedly upon canvas. 

Having thus carefully protected the gunpowder, Ned se- 
lected his supplies : 2 cutlasses ; 2 double-barrelled guns, 
with two dozen spare flints ; 2 brace of pistols ; 2 knives ; 
1 cooking-pot; 20 pounds bullets, and 12 pounds gunpow- 
der ; 10 pounds shot ; 2 steels for striking fire ; 1 axe and 2 
files, and a number of fish-hooks and lines ; 2 pairs of shoes ; 
1 change of clothes for himself, in addition to others for 
Tim ; a case, containing sextant, telescope, compass, artifi- 
cial horizon and nautical almanac, with paper, pencil, etc. ; 
a few medicines, with two gourd bottles of rum, and about 
twelve pounds of biscuits. 

These stores were divided equally between himself and 
Tim, while Nero carried a portion of the bullets, and a sup- 
ply of biscuits for his own use. 

It was on a bright moonlight night that Ned had deter- 
mined to start. At about 1 a.m., when the people of the vil- 
lage were asleep, Ned strapped the small saddle-packs upon 
Nero, and with knapsacks upon their backs and double- 
barrelled guns in their hands, he and Tim forsook the com- 
fortable hut, and struck into the depths of the forest. They 
marched till daylight upon a narrow footway that resem- 
bled the run of sheep. This was already well known to 
them for a distance of about six miles, as they had often 
travelled upon the route during their shooting excursions, 
but beyond that limit all was unexplored. When day broke 


252 


CAST UT BY THE SEA. 


Ned found himself in a dense forest, where giant trees rose 
to the height of upward of a hundred feet, springing from a 
thick and tangled underwood, through which it would have 
been impossible to penetrate except by the narrow path al- 
ready mentioned. They had marched five hours when the 
sun rose at six o’clock; thus Ned calculated that they had 
made fifteen miles : he accordingly determined to push on 
until eight at the same rate of three miles per hour. 

The night had been cool, and they had marched almost 
without fatigue until sunrise, but the last two hours had 
been extremely hot, and Ned was thankful when he sudden- 
ly arrived on the banks of a clear stream that rippled over 
a bed of pebbles between two overhanging cliffs. It was a 
lovely spot, shaded by the dark foliage of the tamarind-trees 
that grew in the deep clefts among the rocks, and Ned had 
no sooner arrived than he unstrapped Nero’s load, and quick- 
ly throwing off his own clothes he plunged into a pool of 
cool water that formed a natural basin in the river’s bed. 
The dog followed his master, together with Tim, and all 
revelled in the luxury of the morning bath. 

After bathing Ned arranged the packs upon some bare 
rocks beneath the shade of a large tamarind-tree, and all be- 
ing extremely hungry he looked despairingly at the bag of 
biscuits which formed their scanty fare. Tim had already 
lighted a fire, although there was nothing to cook, when Ned 
suddenly listened to a distant sound, and, jumping up, he 
took his gun, which he loaded with shot instead of ball, and 
started along the bed of the stream in quest of guinea-fowl 
that he had heard cackling in the distance. He was follow- 
ed by Nero, and after a rough scramble among the rocks in 
the bed of the winding stream he arrived close to the sound. 
As he carefully turned a corner in the river he observed a 
large number of guinea-fowl sitting close together upon the 
branches of a tree, from which they kept up an incessant 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


253 


cackling at a falcon which, having captured one of their 
party, was now eagerly devouring its prey upon a high rock 
above the stream. Creeping through the bushes while the 
attention of the guinea-fowl was attracted by the falcon, 
Ned arrived unseen within thirty yards of the tree, and aim- 
ing at the centre of the flock he fired. To his delight five 
birds fell to the ground, one of which being only winged 
would have escaped in the thick bushes had not Nero at 
once secured it ; they were in exceedingly good condition, 
and as Ned felt their fat breasts with satisfaction, he tied 
their legs together with a strip of tough bark, which he tore 
from the stem of a mimosa, and then joyfully returned to 
breakfast. They had now sufficient for the evening, as the 
birds were so large that even their appetites could hardly 
manage two for breakfast; therefore the pot was placed 
upon the fire, and two were boiled, while three were stuck 
upon spits for roasting. Tim was a good hand at jungle 
cookery ; thus he placed a straight bamboo across two fork- 
ed sticks which rested in the ground close to the fire; 
against this he laid his spits, with one end fixed in the earth ; 
these he occasionally turned when they required it, and in 
about forty minutes the fowls were beautifully roasted. 
Breakfast was ready. They wisely determined to eat the 
boiled fowls and to carry the roast upon the afternoon 
march, as they would better support the heat of the journey. 
A few biscuits stewed up with the soup of the boiled fowls, 
together with the bones left from breakfast, afforded Nero 
a hearty meal, and both Ned and Tim lay down beneath a 
shady tree, against the stem of which they placed their guns. 
In a short time the whole party, including the dog, were 
sound asleep. 

They had slept for about four hours when Ned was sud- 
denly awoke by a low growl from Nero, and sitting up he 
saw the dog rush into the jungle and bark furiously at some 


254 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


object unseen ; but almost at the same instant Ned felt him- 
self seized from behind, and before he had time to offer the 
slightest resistance, or even to discover the cause of attack, 
his arms were firmly bound, and he was entirely helpless. 
Tim had been secured in the same manner. A loud yell 
was now raised, and Ned was surrounded with a party of 
naked savages armed with spears and bows. Nero upon 
hearing the noise came bounding back from the man whom 
he had attacked in the jungle, and seeing Ned he immedi- 
ately took his stand by his side. 

All this happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that Ned 
could hardly believe his eyes ; but putting a bold face upon 
the matter, he smiled as the leader of the party confronted 
him, at the same time he made signs that the twisted palm- 
leaves that confined his arms caused him much pain. This 
man was an immensely powerful negro, with a ferocious ex- 
pression of countenance, but upon seeing Ned smile he ex- 
amined him closely with surprise ; he then looked at the 
dog and at Tim, as though completely puzzled at the na- 
ture of his prisoners. In the mean time Nero was growling 
fiercely, although restrained from attack by Ned’s voice. 

Having satisfied himself that the party consisted of only 
two persons and the dog, the negro chief gave an order to 
his men, who at once prepared two long forked sticks, about 
the thickness of a man’s arm. In a few minutes Ned found 
his neck firmly secured in the fork by means of a cross- 
piece of wood that was lashed across the points. Tim was 
fettered in a similar manner ; a rope was then attached to 
the extremity of the handle, and thus led by two powerful 
negroes, both Ned and Tim found themselves in the pos- 
session of a gang of slave-hunters. Without further delay 
several men took possession of the guns, knapsacks, and va- 
rious effects that lay upon the ground, and they marched 
rapidly forward for about an hour, until they arrived at a 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


255 


narrow path which turned to the west, upon which they 
hurried without once halting until nearly sunset. 

"Ned was suffering severely from thirst and fatigue ; the 
heat was excessive, and upon arrival at a considerable stream 
he made signs to the man who led him that he wished to 
drink. At that moment the party halted, and the negro de- 
scended to the river, and having slaked his own thirst, he 
returned with a large gourd-shell full of clear water. Nev- 
er had Ned enjoyed a draught of water with such delight, 
and he drained every drop from the gourd. He now made 
signs that they should release him from the yoke, and that 
he would not attempt to escape. Upon this a consultation 
was held, which ended by the approach of the leader of the 
party, who, with violent threats and gesticulations, explain- 
ed that, should Ned attempt to desert, he would be imme- 
diately put to death. He then drew a knife from a sheath 
slung upon his arm above the left elbow, with which he cut 
the rope that secured Ned’s neck in the fork ; at the same 
time he released his arms. 

Ned was so stiff that he could scarcely raise his hands 
to his forehead in gratitude for his freedom ; but having 
performed this simple act of courtesy to the negro chief, 
he explained by signs that Tim also should be released. 
Without further delay Tim’s bonds were cut ; at the same 
time he was given a gourd full of water. Having taken 
a long draught Tim stretched his stiffened arms, and then 
rubbed his elbows as he sat down by the side of Ned, 
who, tired out, had thrown himself at full length upon the 
ground. 

“ Dis is a pretty kettle ob fish, Massa Ned !” exclaimed 
Tim. “ Pity Massa Ned didn’t marry all de ole chief’s 
gals ! Now we run away we got into bad bus’ness. Tim 
knows dis work ; not de fust time Tim had his neck in de 
fork. Dese black fellers big blackguards, Massa Ned; 


256 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


catched we for slaves. Tim knows dis work ; catched Tim 
before now.” 

Tim’s former experience had been severely practical, 
and he rightly surmised that both he and Ned were cap- 
tured for the purpose of being sold to some neighboring 
tribe ; thus they might be handed about from one to the 
other as slaves for the remainder of their existence. At 
the same time, when he had reflected upon Ned’s want of 
diplomacy in refusing the old chief’s daughters, he in no 
way faltered in his allegiance, as he was thoroughly pre- 
pared to suffer any misery so long as he could share the lot 
of his young master; but it was Ned’s misfortune that he 
regretted. 

“Do you think they mean to sell us, Tim?” asked Ned. 

“Yes, Massa Ned, pr’aps sell Tim to one man; sell 
Massa Ned to anoder.” 

“Brutes!” exclaimed Ned, “this slave-trade is, indeed, 
an accursed traffic !” 

“ Yes, Massa Ned,” rejoined Tim, “very bad bus’ness — ■ 
almost bad like King George’s bus’ness.” 

“ What do you mean, Tim ?” asked Ned. 

“ I say,” replied the practical Tim, “ de black nigger fel- 
lers almost bad as de press - gang fellers, only not quite. 
King George’s fellers steal de boys to let de Frenchmen 
shoot ’em ; de black niggers steal ’em, make ’em do de 
work : press-gang more bad, take de white slaves let de 
Frenchmen kill ’em.” 

Ned would not question Tim’s logic. There was no 
doubt of their situation ; the tribes were at perpetual war- 
fare with each other for the purpose of capturing slaves, 
some of which were exchanged for ivory with distant 
countries, while others were transported to Zanzibar, which 
was the great Portuguese depot for the trade. One fact 
was clear, that it was necessary to find favor in the eyes of 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 25^ 

their captors, and to trust in Providence for their future 
guidance. Determined upon this policy, although stiff and 
tired, Ned rose from the ground, and assisted the party in 
collecting wood for the night fires that were necessary to 
protect them from wild animals. There was a large quan- 
tity of fallen timber in the forest, and in a short time the 
united efforts of the people had collected numerous trunks 
and branches of dead trees, which were arranged in several 
piles. All being completed, a negro commenced the tedious 
operation of producing fire by the friction of two pieces of 
wood. He first procured a stick, in which he cut a notch ; 
he then selected a piece of straight and dry wood about as 
thick as the little finger; this he sharpened to a point, 
which he inserted in the notch, and holding this firmly upon 
the ground with his toes, he rapidly twirled the upper stick 
between the palms of his hands, so that the point revolved 
within the notch as though it were a drill. In about three 
minutes it began to smoke, but as the success in producing 
fire by this method depends upon the quality of the wood, 
much labor was vainly expended, and the friction brought 
no spark, as the wood was of the wrong kind. Ned imme- 
diately produced a flint and steel from his pocket with a 
piece of tinder formed of canvas : with this he at once 
struck a light, to the astonishment of the natives, who 
crowded round him to witness the extraordinary operation. 
For at least ten minutes he was obliged to continue the 
performance of producing a shower of sparks by the blow 
of the flint and steel, to the intense delight of the natives, 
who vainly attempted it, but only succeeded in knocking 
the skin off their knuckles. 

It was nearly dark, and the forest appeared in deep 
gloom as the pile of dry wood blazed brightly and illumined 
the trees upon the bank of the river where the party had 
bivouacked. The chief, accompanied by one of his men, 


258 


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had been some time absent in a search for wild yams, which 
abounded in the forest, and climbed like gigantic convol- 
vuli around the stems of the trees. Tim had already placed 
his pot upon the fire, and the water was boiling, in expecta- 
tion of the supply of vegetables, when suddenly a loud 
shriek was heard in the dense wood at no great distance. 
This was almost immediately succeeded by a terrific roar : 
another loud cry of alarm was heard, and all the men rush- 
ed to their arms, crying, “ The lion ! the lion !” 

In an instant Ned seized the gun loaded with ball, and 
without the slightest hesitation he rushed toward the spot 
through the thick bushes, followed by Nero and the entire 
party. In the excitement of the moment his stiffness and 
fatigue had vanished, and he dashed forward with a speed 
that was hardly equalled even by the narked negroes who 
accompanied him. In less than a minute they heard a 
rush in the jungle before them. Ned immediately cocked 
his gun, but in that instant the figure of the powerful negro 
chief appeared, flying toward them as he shouted the dread- 
ed name, “ The lion !” 

A loud roaring and growling was now distinctly heard 
within a hundred paces of them, and the negroes hesitated 
to advance. Ned resolutely pushed forward, followed by 
Tim and Nero; and presently the dog, who had heard the 
terrible sound, dashed from his master’s side, and rushing 
toward the spot was heard barking loudly at the lion. In 
a few moments Ned arrived at a small open glade in the 
middle of the forest, in which to his horror he saw the lion 
upon the body of a man whom he had seized by the throat, 
while Nero stood within a few yards baying him furiously. 
Upon Ned’s arrival in the open spot the lion angrily shook 
the neck of the man as a dog would shake a rat, and then 
slowly dragged the body toward the thick bush. Ned 
rushed forward, and stood within ten paces of the immense 


NED AND THE LION 











CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


261 


brute, who, seeing himself thus challenged, turned, and re- 
leasing his hold on the neck of his victim, he placed one of 
his paws upon the chest, and crouched upon the ground, 
facing and glaring upon his unexpected adversary. At this 
moment Nero sprang toward him and barked loudly; this 
diverted his attention, and the lion turned his shaggy head 
toward the dog. Profiting by the opportunity, Ned took a 
steady aim at the temple, a little in front of the ear, and 
fired. 

At the report of the gun the lion rolled over upon his 
back, and convulsively stretched out his prodigious paws, 
which trembled in the palsy of death, as the ball had pass- 
ed through his brain. Hardly had the smoke cleared when 
Nero rushed in and seized the lion by his hairy throat, which 
he shook and tore in desperate fury, at the same time be 
received a deep scratch from one of the claws that contract- 
ed in the death struggle. 

At the report of the gun the natives had rushed back in 
terror, but now that they witnessed its effect they crowded 
around Ned, and taking his hand they kissed the palm and 
embraced him after their fashion, by raising both his hands 
three times above his head. The ferocious-looking negro, 
who was their chief, also drew near in the ecstasy of the 
moment, and throwing up his arms, he shouted an address 
of admiration, which was succeeded by a loud yell of praise 
from all present. The dead body of the negro who had 
been killed was then drawn upon one side, and left for the 
beasts of prey that would devour it during the night, while 
with exciting shouts of victory the negroes dragged the 
lion through the forest, and laid it by the night fire that 
was brightly blazing at the place of bivouac. 

It appeared that the chief and the deceased negro were 
returning from their search after yams, when the lion sud- 
denly sprang upon them from the thick jungle, and seizing 


262 


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the man by the throat, he quickly strangled him. The chief 
had thrown his spear without effect, as it had glanced from 
the stem of a tree ; he had then shouted for help ; which 
had been so quickly and courageously given by Ned. 

For several hours after the moon rose the conversation 
continued upon the recent event, and there was a general 
feeling of astonishment and admiration at Ned’s courage 
and the power of the gun. Nero also shared in the praise, 
as the negroes were delighted that the dog had flown so 
directly at the lion’s throat when the fatal shot was fired. 
While the exciting topic was discussed by the blazing fires 
the heroes of the night, Ned, Tim, and Nero, were stretch- 
ed upon some dry grass fast asleep, tired out with the long 
day’s march ; they had gone supperless to rest, as sleep 
was more desired than food ; in the mean time the natives, 
having carefully skinned their late enemy, made use of Tim’e 
cooking-pot, and feasted on the lion. 


CHAPTER XV. 


IT'OR several weeks following the recent event Ned’s cap- 
tors led him by long and constant marches toward the 
west, but since his gallant behavior in the encounter with the 
lion, he had been kindly treated ; both he and Tim were al- 
lowed to march free, and, moreover, they were permitted 
to carry their arms, which were useless to the natives. 
Hardly a day had passed without a supply of meat, as the 
country abounded with game, and Ned had killed many 
large antelopes and buffaloes that had fed the entire party. 
Thus upon Tim’s proverb, “ Fill de nigger’s belly make de 
nigger frens,” an alliance was established between the cap- 
tors and their prisoners that was exceedingly favorable to 
the latter. 

After a march of three weeks, during which Ned calcu- 
lated that they had travelled 320 miles due west, they ar- 
rived in an elevated country, where the temperature was 
much cooler than any to which they had been accustomed. 
For several days they continued to ascend immense slopes 
of waving grass lands, interspersed with clumps of mimo- 
sas, whose dark green tops were an attraction for large 
herds of beautiful giraffes ; it was the first time that Ned 
had seen these stately animals, and as he sat upon a high 
rock during a halt upon the march he looked down with 
admiration on the beautiful country before him. As far as 
the eye could reach were undulating plains ornamented with 
trees, while lofty mountains formed a dark blue chain in 
the distance, and abrupt rocky hills rising here and there 


264 


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broke the monotony of the vast prairie. Animals of great 
variety and numbers gave life to the scene ; herds of beau- 
tiful zebras galloped over the plain when disturbed ; ostrich- 
es stalked proudly upon a carpet of bright green turf, which 
afforded pasturage for thousands of antelopes and buffaloes 
that were scattered in large troops throughout the land- 
scape. 

The first rains had commenced, thus all was verdant ; 
but the march was drawing to a close, as the rainy season 
was unfavorable for travelling. 

Another week was passed in steady progress of about 
fifteen miles per day. Every night Ned took his latitude 
by the meridian altitude of a star, and as the natives watch- 
ed him communicating (as they thought) with these heav- 
enly bodies, they regarded him with feelings of profound 
respect, as they considered that he had brought down the 
recent showers that had so refreshed the land. Thus he 
was looked upon as a rain-maker — a most important person- 
age throughout the interior of Africa. Ned found that 
they had travelled due west, as they had seldom diverged 
more than a mile north or south of the same parallel of lat- 
itude upon which they had first started ; therefore, allowing 
fifteen miles per day in a direct line as the distance march- 
ed, he knew by this dead reckoning his approximate posi- 
tion. 

It was on the twenty-eighth day of marching that a scene 
burst upon Ned’s view that almost repaid him for the fa- 
tigues of the long journey. During the morning they had 
passed through a more than usually populated country, and 
by ten o’clock they were near the summit of a hill, to which 
the negroes pointed as the end of their pilgrimage. Upon 
several occasions the guides had endeavored to explain 
something important connected with this day, and they now 
quickened their pace as they approached the brow of the 


CAST UP BT THE SEA. 


205 


steep slope, the negroes still pointing before them as though 
something extraordinary would be seen. The path now 
wound through a narrow rocky gorge that cleft the summit 
of the hill ; passing through this cleft, overhung with beam 
tiful trees and climbing plants, a magnificent scene burst 
suddenly upon them. Ned stood for a few moments rivet* 
ted to the spot. He looked down from a height of about 
a thousand feet upon a vast inland sea, which sparkled in 
the sunshine like a valley of diamonds as every ripple on 
the surface reflected the bright rays. On the western side 
of the lake a clear blue outline cut the sky, as a range of 
lofty mountains walled in the mass of waters ; while from 
the spot on which Ned stood the ground sloped in rapid 
undulations of green turf, ornamented with numerous forest 
trees. Upon the rich pastures were innumerable cattle, 
that belonged to the many villages that were scattered at 
irregular intervals upon the slopes. Some of these dwell- 
ings appeared to be within a few yards of the water’s edge, 
and upon the beach could be plainly distinguished rows of 
canoes, many of which were engaged in fishing, but upon 
none could Ned perceive a sail. 

The country was extremely populous, and as the party 
now rapidly descended the hill Ned observed that every vil- 
lage was strongly protected by stockades, while large cattle 
kraals were erected in the vicinity, equally fortified, with 
the addition of a live hedge of the impenetrable thorny 
cactus. There could be no doubt that he had arrived at a 
place of great importance, as he had seen nothing approach- 
ing to the wealth of this country throughout the long march 
from the sea-coast, and Ned felt that if he were to become 
a slave this spot w r ould most probably be the scene of his 
captivity. As this thought passed through his mind he 
observed that the more level portions of the ground at the 
bottom of the valley were cultivated with various crops, 


266 


CAST UF BY THE SEA. 


which as he descended he could plainly distinguish to be 
the tall millet and sweet potatoes, while thick groves of 
bananas surrounded every village, and afforded both fruit 
and shade. There could not be a more lovely country ; and 
Ned congratulated himself that his lot appeared to have 
fallen in pleasant places, when, having completed the de- 
scent, the party passed through a large field of millet near- 
ly twice the height of a man, and presently entered a plan- 
tation of bananas upon a path which conducted them to 
the gateway of the principal town. 

They arrived at a curious archway in the thick stock- 
ade. This was formed of innumerable sharp-pointed boughs 
of extremely hard wood, so closely fixed together, and ap- 
parently interlaced wfith their points outward, that it was 
necessary to walk exactly in the middle of the narrow en- 
trance, which would only permit the passage of men in 
single file. This peculiar arrangement was to prevent a 
sudden surprise by a rush of men in a large body ; and to 
render the approach still more difficult there was a turn at 
right angles in the middle of the sharp-pointed passage, 
which continued for a distance of about twenty feet. The 
stockade fence was composed of a double row of large trees, 
firmly fixed in the ground, and laced together with bamboos 
interwoven with the branches of the hooked thorn mimosa, 
which would be perfectly impenetrable to any naked men, 
and the defense might be considered impregnable unless 
destroyed by fire. 

It was through this fortified work that the party now 
entered the town, when they were almost immediately met 
in a large open space by a number of the natives, who were 
lounging beneath the shade of an immense tamarind-tree ; 
they immediately rose and surrounded them with expres- 
sions of much curiosity upon seeing Ned. These natives 
were entirely different in appearance to those who had cap- 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


26 “/ 


tured Ned and Tim ; their language was perfectly unknown 
to the guides, and they were unable to converse except by 
signs until an interpreter could be found who had lived for 
some time among the other tribe. Suddenly Tim came 
forward, and listening for a few moments with intense 
eagerness to the buzz of voices in the crowd, he exclaimed 
to Ned, “ Dis my people ! dis my talk, Massa Ned ! Tim 
knows de talk !” and without more ado he spoke fluently to 
the native who was nearest to him. 

The effect of this was extraordinary; Tim was at once 
the centre of attraction, and the people crowded round him 
to hear the account of their journey and capture by the 
band who had led them thither. The crowd increased, and 
as a man of some importance appeared they were at once 
conducted to a large open place in the centre of the town, 
where they were brought into the presence of the chief or 
king. He was a fine man of about forty, and was seated 
upon a carpet of leopard skins beneath the shade of a large 
banian-tree, surrounded by many of his people. The large 
crowd that followed Ned and Tim now halted, and sat down 
respectfully at some distance, while the two strangers, to- 
gether with the band of slave-hunters, were introduced to 
the king. He now made a sign to a negro by his side, who 
at once struck a large drum three times, with slow but 
heavy beats. The effect was instantaneous ; every voice in 
the crowd of more than a thousand persons was hushed. 

Complete silence having been restored, the king address- 
ed Ned in a few words, desiring the entire party to be 
seated, and to explain whence and for what purpose they 
had arrived. 

Tim now became the spokesman, and in a long but clear 
discourse he gave an account of the shipwreck and their 
subsequent journey; he also described his first arrival in 
England, to which country Ned belonged. 


268 


CAST UF BY THE SEA. 


The king and his people were intensely interested. They 
had never heard of any white nation ; and he at once re- 
quested to know whether all men were white in England, 
or whether Ned was an exceptional curiosity ? 

Tim gave him a description of the people, and the im- 
mense power of the country; at the same time he endeavor- 
ed to explain the nature of our weapons, and he at once ex- 
hibited his gun. 

The king took it in his hands, and nodding complacent- 
ly, as though he thoroughly understood it, he placed the 
muzzle in his mouth, and pronounced it to be an exceeding- 
ly inconvenient form of tobacco-pipe. As the gun was 
loaded, Tim explained the danger of the weapon, and as 
several fowls were running about in the open square he ask- 
ed permission to exhibit the effect. At about thirty yards’ 
distance he fired his gun, which being loaded with large 
shot killed three fowls ; he then quickly fired the remain- 
ing barrel, which killed two more. At the instant of the 
discharge a panic seized upon the crowd, who, having never 
heard a gun, were terrified at the report, and rushed off in 
all directions, falling over each other in the scramble to get 
away ; as the first shot was repeated by a second, they ex- 
pected a continuation of the terrible noise, and having wit- 
nessed the death of the fowls they dreaded a similar fate. 

Although the king had shared in the panic, he had re- 
covered his self-possession sufficiently to enable him to 
strike the drum, at the sound of which the frightened crowd 
resumed their seats, while Tim explained the nature of the 
weapon and the tremendous power of gunpowder. 

Order having been restored, Tim continued his discourse, 
and explained how the largest animals could be killed by 
the gun as instantaneously as the fowls that had been just 
shot. He then described the attack of the lion that Ned 
had destroyed by a single bullet, at the mention of which a 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


269 


loud murmur of applause was uttered by the throng of lis- 
teners. 

When Tim had finished his narrative he wisely con- 
cluded by a petition to the king for assistance ; he described 
how he had been stolen as a slave when a child, and he gave 
the name of the tribe to which he had belonged. Upon 
hearing this name the king exclaimed in surprise, as the 
chief of that country was his great ally, and his principal 
town was situated at the extreme end of the lake, which he 
described as ten days’ journey for a canoe, or about 250 
miles to the west. Thus Tim was not far distant from his 
own home. 

After some minutes’ reflection the king spoke to his 
counsellors, who sat at his feet, and at once gave a com- 
mand that the gang of slave-dealers who had captured Ned 
and Tim should be brought before him. Through the 
medium of an interpreter he questioned the powerful negro 
who was the chief of the party, and as he explained that he 
had arrived for the purpose of buying slaves in exchange 
for beads and brass coil bracelets, the king offered to supply 
them on condition that he should receive Ned and Tim as 
presents, together with all their effects* The parcels that 
had been carried by the slave-hunters were now brought 
forward and examined. Mats were spread upon the ground, 
upon which large piles of glittering beads of all colors were 
laid; these were sorted into numerous small heaps, each of 
which was supposed to represent the price of a slave. The 
brass bracelets were next produced ; these were formed of 
about four feet of wire, of the thickness of a drawing-pen- 
cil, twisted into a coil to fit the arm from the wrist upward. 
One of these highly-prized ornaments was the value of a 
female slave. After much bargaining, during which a 
small number of beads was added to each pile, and a couple 
of bracelets thrown into the general offer, it was decided 


270 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


that on the following day one hundred and fifty slaves 
should be delivered to the leader of the gang. 

The meeting was broken up, and Ned was shown a hut 
that was to be appropriated by him and Tim; the crowd 
made way for them, as Nero growled angrily and bristled 
up his back when intruded upon too closely, and in a few 
minutes Ned found himself in possession of a clean circular 
dwelling within the king’s private court, in which were 
numerous huts inclosed within a ring fence of palisades ; 
these were occupied by the king’s wives, and by other mem- 
bers of his family, who now issued from their doors to ex- 
amine the new arrivals. There was nothing remarkable in 
Tim’s appearance with the exception of his clothes, as the 
only difference between himself and the natives consisted 
in their nudity ; the men had not a vestige of clothing be- 
yond a scarf of tanned antelope’s hide that was fastened 
across the shoulders and hung loosely before the body ; the 
women wore a neat apron of finely-plaited twine that was 
spun from the fibre of the wild aloe. 

The usual thrilling cry of welcome was raised as Ned 
and Tim were led to their hut. It was exceedingly clean, 
and was surrounded by a court neatly cemented with a hard 
coating of clay and cowdung, which is general throughout 
Africa. The view was extremely beautiful, as the front of 
the hut commanded the lake, which was about a quarter of 
a mile distant ; in this spot it appeared to be about twenty 
miles in width, and the opposite side was bordered by lofty 
hills which looked a rich purple in the distance. Toward 
evening several slave-women brought a large circular wood- 
en bowl with a steaming mixture of kid stewed with sweet 
potatoes and bananas ; this was exceedingly hot with red 
pepper, and Ned thought it almost surpassed Tim’s art in 
cookery. 

“ Not too good, Massa Ned,” said Tim, who was jealous 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


271 


of the strangers’ success; “too plenty pepper got in de 
stoo. E-e-che !” continued Tim, sneezing violently, but 
shamming, “ bad cook dis people ; not cook like me. Tim 
knows de trick ’xactly.” 

In spite of this criticism Tim eat heartily, and by the 
time that dinner was concluded the bowl was nearly empty. 
The boys were both tired, and throwing themselves down 
upon clean mats, they slept soundly. 

On the following morning before sunrise Ned was 
awakened by the loud beating of drums and blowing of 
horns, and upon rising hastily he was surprised to see a 
vast crowd of people assembled in the king’s court, headed 
by himself in person, who came to summon him to a coun- 
cil. The fact was, that during the night much feasting had 
been going on, and the chief of the gang that had formerly 
captured Ned had communicated the intelligence to the 
king that he was a renowned rain-maker; thus Ned’s pres- 
ence among the tribe would be of inestimable benefit to the 
country, that was subject to severe droughts. He had de- 
scribed how Ned conversed with the stars and moon, and 
how he stared at the sun with an extraordinary instrument, 
although the eyes of common men could not for a moment 
support its light. He also repeated the account of the con- 
flict with the lion, and he declared that he had no doubt 
that Ned possessed the power of magic. As the king was 
surrounded by many of his people when this description was 
given an immense excitement was created, and after a long 
consultation it was determined that on the following morn- 
ing the king and his people should visit the fair-haired sor- 
cerer, and request him to perform some feat of sorcery. 
Ned had left his hut to meet the king, and Tim, who acted 
as interpreter, shortly informed him of the object of the 
deputation. 

It was in vain that Ned declared he had no supernatural 


272 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA. 


power ; the more that he protested, the firmer was their be 
lief ; and the king requested to examine all the curious article 
that he possessed, and that their use might be explained. 
Tim at once unpacked the knapsacks and produced the 
sextant, which the king declined to touch, as he was not 
sure that it might not explode like the gun on the preced- 
ing day. Ned then exhibited the compass : this perfectly 
delighted him, as the needle followed the blade of a knife 
which Ned passed around it ; the king wished to touch the 
needle, but was astonished that his finger could not reach it 
on account of the glass which covered the surface of the in- 
strument. This was a matter of extreme curiosity ; glass 
was unknown, therefore the nature of the obstruction was 
not understood. The needle could be seen but not touched, 
as an invisible substance protected it from contact with the 
hand ; this was handed from one to the other of the king’s 
great men, and at once declared to be magic. Among oth- 
ers in the crowd were the king’s sorcerers ; these were old 
men whose heads were ornamented with chaplets of dried 
lizards and toads, with pieces of the roots of certain trees 
that were supposed to be charms. Around their necks 
were long necklaces composed of entire tortoise-shells about 
three inches long, together with crocodiles’ teeth, lions’ 
claws, and the black seeds of the wild plantain. When the 
compass was handed to them they at once declared it to be 
a spell, and advised the king to return it immediately to 
the owner. 

Ned having already gained the reputation of a magician, 
was now obliged to continue a performance which tended 
to increase the belief in his power. He produced the 
quicksilver that belonged to the artificial horizon ; some of 
this he poured into a cocoa-nut shell, which he handed to 
the king, and requested him to touch it. Both the king and 
his sorcerers dipped their fingers in the supposed water 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


273 


without being able to wet them ; this was still more wonder- 
ful than the compass ; the shell was passed from one to the 
other, while each attempted to moisten the tips of his fingers 
which he carefully examined after every experiment. At last 
a small quantity was spilt upon the ground, which forming 
into numerous globules, afforded general amusement, as they 
vainly attempted to secure them with their fingers and 
thumbs. The mercury was at once declared to be magic 
water that had the power of producing rain. 

The telescope was now exhibited and its use explained. 
Ned then raised it to his eye, and directed the sight to a 
herd of cows that were being milked at some distance. 
Upon seeing this the king suddenly snatched it from him, 
and begged him never to look at either cows or goats with 
such an instrument, or they ‘would assuredly lose their milk. 
Yielding at once to the superstition, Ned requested the 
king to observe some object through the telescope. This 
he vainly attempted, and his example having been followed 
by his sorcerers with the same want of success, it was re- 
turned to Ned as a magic instrument that could only be 
used by himself. Accordingly Ned unscrewed the large 
magnifying-glass, and as the sun was bright he requested 
the king to stretch forth his hand ; then directing the focus 
of the burning-glass upon his black skin, the king suddenly 
sprang backward with the pain. Recovering from his first 
surprise, the king now insisted that a similar experiment 
should be tried upon all his sorcerers, as their charms and 
spells, if potent, should protect them from the white man’s 
magic. Each offered his arm. The first bore the pain he- 
roically for a few seconds as the skin burnt and smoked in 
the fire of the sun’s focus : he could then support it no long- 
er, and he suddenly cried out and quickly withdrew his arm, 
which was severely scorched. One by one each sorcerer 
was subjected to the ordeal, and all having suffered alike 


274 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


the king declared that their magic was inferior to that of 
the white man, and that they were useless in comparison 
with him. Ned then set fire with the glass to a piece oi 
canvas rubbed with gunpowder ; this was handed from one 
to the other with admiration, amid general exclamations ot 
delight and astonishment. 

“ What are they saying, Tim ?” asked Ned. 

“ Dis black niggers stoopid people, Massa Ned,” replied 
Tim ; “ dey say de white man got de fire in one eye and de 
water in de odder eye, so he make ’em fire when he like, 
and rain when he please. Dat’s all right !” continued Tim. 
“ Tim knows de niggers ; give ’em little ’stonishment, dat’s 
de right trick ’xactly. Now de black king make Massa 
Ned a big man.” 

Perfectly satisfied with the. treasure he had gained in 
Ned, the king lost no time in collecting the one hundred 
and fifty slaves that he had agreed to supply to the negro 
dealer ; he at once gave an order that a certain refractory 
village in the neighborhood should be pillaged, and the in- 
habitants sold as slaves. Accordingly, at about 3 a.m. on 
the following morning, a party of a thousand men started 
by moonlight for the purpose of surprising the village be- 
fore the people should awake. This brutal order was given 
because the headman of the village had refused to pay the 
customary tribute. A little before daybreak Ned perceived 
the flames of the burning huts, as the fire destroyed the in- 
flammable constructions of thatch and wood, at a distance 
of about four miles from the principal town. The king was 
standing in his own court-yard enjoying the scene of de- 
struction, and in a few hours his army returned, having Kill- 
ed many of the men, and captured several hundred women 
and children of both sexes. These unfortunate people were 
secured in a living chain, tied neck to neck by thongs of 
hide; others were fastened by the necks in forked sticks, 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


275 


similar to those in which Ned and Tim had been confined 
when first taken by the slave-gang. Some of the young 
girls were crying bitterly ; there were mothers with infants 
in their arms, others who had lost their children in the mas- 
sacre, and many children who had seen their parents ruth- 
lessly speared before their eyes. The prisoners were now 
ranged in several rows in the large inclosure that formed 
the court, after which they were inspected by the negro 
slave-dealer, who selected one hundred and fifty according 
to the bargain he had made with the king ; these were 
taken without the slightest regard to the relationship of the 
individuals. An infant was torn from the arms of a pretty 
young mother, while she was led away with the lot selected 
for transportation, without the smallest attention to her 
cries of agony at the separation from her child. Children 
of twelve and fourteen were taken sobbing bitterly from 
their parents, and the whip of hippopotamus hide descend- 
ed cruelly upon their naked shoulders when they struggled 
to remain with their mothers, from whom they were torn. 
At length the requisite number was complete, and the band 
of slave-dealers that had brought Ned to the country now 
commenced their return march, with one hundred and fifty 
slaves to supply other black dealers, who would conduct them 
to the Portuguese possessions on the coast near Zanzibar. 

As they disappeared from the town the remaining slaves 
were distributed by the king among a number of his peo- 
ple, who were allowed to have the use of them provided 
that they agreed to restore them or others in their stead 
whenever they might be required. There were many heart- 
rending scenes as they saw their relatives disappear while 
they were themselves divided and apportioned to strangers. 
Ned looked on in horror at the infamous traffic, while it 
recalled to Tim’s recollection the scene of his first day of 
slaver}'. 


18 


276 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


“ So de nigger eat de nigger !” exclaimed Tim, philosoph- 
ically. “ Bad fellers dese black chaps,” he continued ; 
“ where ’spect to go to ? eh ? God shut his eye, let de deb- 
bel catch de nigger. Pray God take care of Tim.” 

This theological sentiment closed the melancholy scene. 


i<'> Vl 


CHAPTER XVI. 


S EVERAL months passed away, and with them the rainy 
season closed, and the harvest was gathered in. The 
sun now resumed its sway, the clouds had given place to a 
spotless sky, and the vivid green gradually faded, and the 
country parched into a bright yellow ; the smaller streams 
all dried up, and even the great lake sank a few feet below 
the former level. 

It was now the season for hunting, and parties were or- 
ganized for killing elephants and hippopotami, the flesh of 
’which was the principal food of the people ; this was dried 
in strips, and then hung up in the smoke of their cabins in 
sufficient quantities to last for many months. 

The harvest of meat was considered almost as important 
as that of corn ; therefore while a portion of the men and 
the whole of the women were engaged in the cultivation of 
their fields, those who were most active and courageous form- 
ed bands of hunters and provided a supply of flesh. To be 
distinguished for exploits in the hunting-grounds was con- 
sidered to be even more meritorious than acts of valor on 
the field of battle, and as Ned had gained a great reputation 
by the death of the lion he was expected to perform prodi- 
gies in the chase of wild animals. Next to the king he was 
already the greatest man in the country, as his supposed 
power in magic had given him an extraordinary influence. 
Among his medicines he had a large supply of calomel and 
emetic tartar: the effect of these drugs upon the sick had 
gained him much repute, and his success as a physician was 


278 


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also attributed to sorcery. Although Ned was no charlatan, 
he found it impossible to stem the tide of public opinion, 
and he was forced to allow the natives to indulge in their 
superstitions. There was, however, much danger insepara- 
ble from his exalted position. The king was an ignorant 
savage, and although he believed thoroughly in magic, his 
confidence in the individual sorcerer depended upon success, 
and the law of the country determined that three successive 
failures should be punished by the death of the rain-maker 
or magician. To Ned’s horror and disgust two of the king’s 
sorcerers had already been put to death in his presence for 
having repeatedly failed in their prophecies of success to 
the hunting-parties. The fault was considered to exist in 
a lying spirit in the inside of the sorcerer : the unfortunate 
wretch was therefore put to death before all the people, by 
being ripped open with a sharp knife, when his vital organs 
were carefully examined by other sorcerers, who pretended 
to discover the traces of the evil spirit. 

It was not long before Ned was requested by the King 
to foretell the result of a hunting expedition that was about 
to start upon a large scale. With the horrible fate of the 
unlucky prophets before him, Ned declared, with much tact, 
that great success would attend the hunting-party should 
he and Tim accompany the hunters. It was accordingly 
arranged that he should take the entire command. 

At daybreak on the following morning Ned, accompanied 
by Tim and Nero with fifty picked men, started upon their 
expedition in five large canoes, formed from the straight 
stems of gigantic trees. 

The sun had just risen when the little fleet paddled rap- 
idly along the shore; the men were in the highest spirits, 
as Ned’s presence among them inspired a confidence of suc- 
cess. For ten hours they paddled without ceasing, merely 
halting to relieve each other at the oars, and Ned reckoned 


CAST UP BY THE SEA, 


279 


that they had travelled about thirty-five miles, when, at four 
o’clock, the leading canoe steered into a narrow bay, with a 
clean sandy beach, upon which the crews disembarked and 
dragged their vessels high and dry. A ridge of precipitous 
rocky hills of several hundred feet high bordered the lake 
about a quarter of a mile from the water, which appeared 
to extend to their base during the floods of the rainy sea- 
son ; the flat, sandy ground between them and the lake was 
scantily covered with a fine silky grass, and the soft earth 
was deeply imprinted with numerous tracks of elephants, 
hippopotami, giraffes, and other large animals. 

This part of the country was uninhabited, and therefore 
it abounded with game. 

While the hunters removed their weapons and light bag- 
gage from the canoes Ned strolled with his gun to the base 
of the rocky hills, and perceiving that they were too precipi- 
tous to ascend he concluded that the wild animals must de- 
scend to the lake by some pass from the high ground above. 
Continuing along the base of the hills it was not long be- 
fore he arrived at the dry bed of a torrent that descended 
between two walls of rock that formed a ravine from the 
high lands to the lake ; this was completely trodden down 
by the feet of the ponderous animals that nightly arrived 
by that path to drink. It immediately struck Ned that, if 
he were to watch the pass by moonlight, with Tim and their 
two double-barrelled guns, he would be able to cut off any 
animals that should descend, as he would have the advantage 
of a secure position about twenty feet above them. Deter- 
mined to carry out his plan, he hurried back to the party, 
who had already settled themselves for the night behind 
some high rocks which effectually concealed their fire. 
Ned now explained his plan to Tim and the people, and hav- 
ing dined off a large fish which one of the hunters had har- 
pooned during the voyage, he tied Nero to a tree, telling 


280 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


him to watch his knapsack of clothes and ammunition, and 
with a caution to the hunters to observe the greatest quiet, 
he started with Tim to watch the pass. 

Upon arrival at the mouth of the gorge, which formed an 
alley or narrow street through the hill-side, Ned climbed up 
the steep ascent, and took his position beneath a small tree 
that grew among the clefts of the rocks exactly on the edge 
of the ravine ; thus he commanded the pass, as he could drop 
a pebble upon any animal that passed below. This curious 
pathway was of great length, as it was by no means precipi- 
tous, but descended at a gradual inclination with many 
windings from the table-land on the summit of the hills. 

The wind blew toward the lake, thus it was favorable for 
the watchers. 

The moon was nearly full, and not a cloud dimmed the 
face of the heavens ; thus it would be almost as 4 easy to shoot 
correctly as in daylight, especially as Ned had taken the 
precaution to fasten a piece of white paper cut into a sharp 
point as a sight at the muzzle of the guns. At length, as 
daylight entirely faded, the moon seemed doubly bright, 
and the night set in with that brilliancy that can only be 
seen within the tropics. There was not a sound to be heard 
except the occasional splashing and loud sonorous snort of 
the hippopotami among the reeds by the margin of the lake, 
and the hum of musquitoes that tormented Ned without 
ceasing. 

About an hour passed in fruitless watching ; the moon 
was now high enough to throw her light directly into the 
ravine, and suddenly, although no sound had been heard, 
Ned perceived a dull gray mass that looked like a large por- 
tion of the rock moving slowly forward from an angle in the 
gorge. The mass suddenly halted, when, in the distance, a 
sound rang through the still night air like the shrill note of 
a trumpet. A low and deep growl, like the rumbling of 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


281 


distant thunder, seemed to shake the rock upon which Ned 
lay concealed. Suddenly a tremendous trumpet sounded 
from the gorge where the dull gray mass had halted, and, 
growling deeply, the bull elephant advanced unconscious of 
impending danger along the bottom of the ravine. Another 
and another elephant followed until the leader passed di- 
rectly beneath the spot where Ned and Tim were concealed ; 
the entire alley was crowded with the herd of enormous 
animals as they followed their leader in single file toward 
the lake. 

Ned’s heart beat loudly with excitement as one by one 
the elephants passed below him ; but he reserved his fire 
until eight or ten had made their exit from the gorge, as he 
rightly conjectured that at the alarm of the first shot those 
who had already passed out would endeavor to return whence 
they came ; this would create great confusion in the narrow 
pass, during which he would have an opportunity of select- 
ing the finest animals. 

As the elephants slowly filed below Ned whispered to 
Tim to hand him the spare gun as quickly as possible when 
he should require it, and aiming behind the ear of a large 
bull that was not more than five paces distant he fired. The 
huge animal fell dead to the shot. For some minutes the 
herd of elephants remained stationary, as though suddenly 
turned to stone ; the flash of the gun and the unknown re- 
port had completely astonished them, and they waited in 
uncertainty of the position and nature of the danger. Dur- 
ing this time Ned reloaded his gun, and aiming at the tem- 
ple of a large elephant that stood exactly before him he again 
fired. To his delight this animal fell likewise ; but now an 
indescribable scene of confusion arose. At the last flash of 
the gun those elephants that had already passed from the 
gorge turned quickly round, and charged desperately in their 
retreat up the narrow pass, which was blocked not only by 


282 


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the bodies of the two dead elephants but by the dense mass 
of animals which, seized by the panic, now wedged closely 
together in their frantic endeavors to escape. 

There was no necessity for concealment, and Ned quietly 
stood upon the edge of the rocks, just out of reach of the 
elephants’ trunks, and steadily selected his shots, aiming 
generally behind the ear as the most fatal spot. Six ele- 
phants fell to his guns before they could extricate themselves 
from their helpless position ; then, having regained their for- 
mation in single file, they disappeared at an extraordinary 
pace in the gloom of the ravine. 

This was a good beginning. Tim had handed the gun 
quickly, and had reloaded as fast as Ned had fired, and their 
six prizes now blocked the passage of the narrow gorge. 
But more remained to be done, as the night was young and 
the moon bright; therefore Ned proposed that they should 
follow the edge of the ravine for a considerable distance 
where it had been undisturbed: there they might pass 
another hour in watching before they returned to their 
party. 

They picked their way among loose rocks until they ar- 
rived at the summit of the high ground : they then discov- 
ered what they had supposed to be a hill from the level of 
the lake was merely a cliff, or precipitous slope descending 
from a beautiful expanse of table-land, that was a combina- 
tion of forests and plains. From this elevated land the tor- 
rents descended to the lake by deep gorges that had been 
worn through the hill-side, and Ned once more took up his 
position behind a large tamarind-tree that overhung the ra- 
vine which the elephants had recently quitted. The white 
sand at the bottom of the gorge was trodden deeply by the 
feet of the numerous herd that had now retreated to the 
jungles, in which they could be distinctly heard trumpeting 
and roaring in the distance, 


CAST UP E?' THE SEA. 


283 


More than an hour passed away without the appearance 
of any animal, and Ned was thinking of his return when he 
suddenly heard the clatter of stones as some hard-footed 
beast was descending the ravine. In a few moments he ob- 
served several spectre-like forms advancing along the bot- 
tom, their heads being sometimes on a level with the rocks 
that overhung the edge. They were giraffes who were 
thus descending to drink at the lake. 

As they passed within a few feet of Ned he fired at the 
head of one that nearly touched him ; this fell to the shot, 
and as the herd dashed round and rushed off with amazing 
speed, Ned fired his remaining barrel at the shoulder of 
another animal, but apparently without success, as it re- 
treated with the rest. This was great luck; Ned had kill- 
ed six elephants and a giraffe, and he resolved to return to 
the spot where his party had bivouacked, as he had done 
sufficient work for the night. The easiest path was by the 
ravine through which the elephants had arrived ; Ned there- 
fore clambered down the rock, followed by Tim, until he 
gained the sandy bottom of the gorge, by which gradual 
descent they arrived at the dead elephants. In passing these 
Tim cut off their tails, as he had also done with the giraffe, 
and with these trophies they continued on their way. After 
passing through a dark strip of forest they observed the 
light of the fires around which the natives were sitting in 
anxious expectation of their return, as they had distinctly 
heard the shots and the loud trumpeting of the elephants. 
Tim, in great triumph, exhibited the tails, and recounted the 
story of the night, to the astonishment of the natives, who 
had now obtained as large a supply of meat in one night as 
they were accustomed to collect in a fortnight’s hunting. 
They determined to visit the spot before daybreak, to pre- 
pare the flesh and secure it from putrefaction. 

At about 4 a.m. they sailied forth with knives, axes, and 


284 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


sacks to cut up the game. This they performed with great 
dexterity by dividing the flesh in long but thin slips, which 
were at once hung upon the trees in festoons to dry, while 
fires were lighted beneath to preserve it from the flies. 
While they were thus engaged Ned, with the dog, stroll- 
ed up the ravine to the body of the giraffe, which had al- 
ready been attacked by hyenas, whose tracks were visible 
in the sand. Knowing that he had wounded a second gi 
raffe, he now continued along the ravine, and presently he 
discovered tracks of blood upon the stones upon the right* 
hand side of the gully, which proved that the animal was 
wounded. He now carefully followed upon the marks un- 
til he emerged from the ravine among some roughly-bro- 
ken ground near the summit of the table-land ; this was in 
some places covered with thick bush, but Ned remarked 
that in one spot the white sand was reddened with blood, 
and trampled in all directions by the tracks of lions min- 
gled with the wide - spreading hoofs of giraffes. It was 
evident that some great struggle had taken place, as the 
sand was marked in one direction by a weight that appear- 
ed to have been dragged across it, as though the giraffe 
had been carried off by the lions. As he followed upon 
the track along which the heavy body had been dragged 
Nero bristled up his back, and cautiously approached a 
dense covert of thorns within a small hollow among the 
rocks. The dog halted, and appeared to wind something 
within the thick jungle, as he advanced a few steps nearer 
and then barked in great excitement. Ned felt sure that 
either one or more lions had dragged the body of the gi-. 
raffe within the den of thorns ; accordingly, when within 
twenty paces of the spot, he threw several large stones into 
the middle of the bush. With a loud roar a magnificent 
lion rushed out from his lair and crouched before the bush, 
eying Ned fiercely, and growling deeply as though prepared 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


285 


to spring. The lion moved his tail rapidly from side to 
side, striking the ground with the tuft of black hair at the 
extremity with a force that made the sand fly like puffs of 
smoke. This was a sign of extreme fury, and Ned mo- 
mentarily expected an attack that would have been difficult 
to avoid. For several minutes they faced each other de- 
terminedly, Ned all the while keeping his eyes fixed un- 
flinchingly upon those of the lion. At length, as the dog 
continued to spring around him, barking without ceasing, 
the lion rose from the ground and stalked proudly back- 
ward and forward before the covert, as though to guard 
the entrance. This was a grand opportunity for a side 
shot at the shoulder, and never did Ned aim with greater 
coolness and accuracy, as he knew that his life depended 
upon the shot ; trusting to break the shoulder-bone, and 
thus disable him, he fired. With a terrific roar the lion 
charged with one bound into the smoke of the gun ; at the 
same time that he descended he struck a random blow with 
his right paw that would have felled a buffalo. Fortunate- 
ly for Ned, at the moment of firing he had sprung upon 
one side, and thus avoided the crushing blow. The lion 
now rolled over almost at his feet, and, recovering himself 
immediately, he rushed upon Ned, receiving at the same in- 
stant the contents of the second barrel in his mouth. With 
great activity Ned had again avoided him in the thick 
smoke at the moment of firing, and Nero rushing in had 
seized the lion between the hind legs, where he hung on 
with a furious tenacity that no efforts of the animal could 
relax. Ned had Jem Stevens’s pistols in his belt, one of 
which he had quickly drawn ; but the struggles of the lion 
with the dog were so great and extremely rapid that he had 
no chance of taking a correct aim. The blood was pouring 
from the lion’s mouth, as well as from a wound through 
the shoulder, and presently, amid his tremendous efforts to 


286 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


turn and attack the dog, he reared to his full height upon 
his hind legs, and with a savage roar he fell upon his back 
with the stanch dog beneath him. As quick as lightning, 
to save Nero, Ned rushed in, and fired his pistol within a 
few inches of the lion’s head, scattering his brains upon the 
faithful dog. The lion never moved a muscle. Ned, pale 
with the excitement of the fight, now caressed the dog, who 
fiercely shook the dead lion’s throat ; after which he wiped 
the perspiration from his forehead, and looking up to the 
clear heavens he devoutly thanked God for protection in 
the strife. He was surveying the carcass of the lion with 
a hunter’s pride when Tim suddenly appeared, accompanied 
by several of the natives who had heard the shots and hur- 
ried to discover the cause. They could hardly believe their 
eyes when they saw the lion lying dead ; and upon entering 
the jungle they found the remains of the giraffe, which had 
been partially devoured. They now took possession of the 
prize ; and having skinned the lion and cut his flesh from 
the bones, they severed his head from the body, together 
with the skin, and returned to their party, who were busily 
engaged in taking the meat of the elephants. 

The whole day was occupied by the natives in cutting 
up the elephants and transporting them to the place of 
bivouac. In the mean time Ned, who had no taste for that 
branch of the expedition, took possession of one of the ca- 
noes with the assistance of Tim, and determined, if possi- 
ble, to procure some fresh fish for dinner. Many drift 
bamboos were lying upon the beach, from which he selected 
one about sixteen feet long and tapered ; he then lashed a 
thong of elephant’s hide to the point, so as to form a stiff 
loop in the place of a ring, through which he passed a 
strong line made of the aloe fibre ; to this he attached a 
large hook and a piece of light wood as a float. With a 
coil of about a hundred yards of line wound upon two pegs 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


287 


a foot asunder, that he drove into the butt of his rod in the 
place of a reel, Ned was ready for a day’s fishing, with the 
exception of the bait. Tim quickly secured the latter nec- 
essary article by forming a line with half a dozen single 
hairs of the giraffe’s tail, to which he attached a small hook 
baited with a minute piece of elephant’s fat. The small 
fish of about half a pound weight bit greedily, and having 
caught five or six Tim kept them alive in a large gourd- 
shell of water, and Ned pushed the canoe from the shore. 
The small fish were bright and silvery, but they had a 
tough skin like that of an eel instead of scales; through 
this, just beneath the back fin, Ned inserted the large hook, 
and throwing his lively and alluring bait into deep water 
within a few yards of a bank of tall reeds he patiently 
waited the result. 

About half an hour had passed in perfect silence when 
Ned was startled by a tremendous snort, accompanied by a 
splash in the water close to the canoe ; in another instant 
he felt a severe shock as the head of a hippopotamus struck 
the bottom, and lifted the canoe several inches above the 
surface. As though proud of his performance, the angry 
old bull now raised his head above the water, and again 
snorted loudly. Tim snatched up his gun, and, taking a 
good aim, he fired into the middle of its head in a line from 
between the eyes. With a splash the animal disappeared. 
Several other hippopotami now showed their heads, but at 
a more respectful distance, as they were alarmed at the re- 
port of the gun. 

“ Dat’s what I call a ugly feller,” remarked Tim ; “ he 
got a pair of lips same like de nigger ; got a flat nose like 
de nigger ; he’s de reg’lar water nigger — dat’s a fact ’xact- 

ly” 

Having expressed this opinion upon the natural history 
of the hippopotamus, Tim reloaded his gun, and Ned was 


288 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


about to make some remark when his float darted off, and 
the rod was nearly jerked out of his hand ; fortunately he 
held a loose coil that was not wound round the pegs, and 
allowing this to fall upon the ground he grasped the line 
with one hand, and struck hard to fasten the fish. It was 
impossible to check the rush, and for the moment Ned fear- 
ed that a crocodile had seized his bait, and that he should 
lose the tackle ; but he was presently undeceived, as an im- 
mense fish sprang high out of the water, at about eighty 
yards distant, firmly hooked. 

For about twenty minutes the struggle continued be- 
tween Ned and the fish, which constantly leaped from the 
water, and, shaking its head violently, endeavored to free 
itself from the hook. At length, as Ned had kept a severe 
strain upon the line, the fish showed signs of exhaustion, 
and Tim paddled the canoe toward a sand-bank for the 
purpose of landing their p^ize in shallow water. Jumping 
out of the canoe Ned ran backward upon the bank, and 
keeping a tight line he presently succeeded in leading the 
fish into the shallows, where it struggled helplessly upon 
its side ; Tim got behind it, and falling bodily upon it, he 
grasped the gills with both hands, and dragged it to the 
shore. The scales were as bright as silver, except upon the 
back, where they were a dark slaty blue : it was a species 
of perch that weighed about eighty pounds, and both Ned 
and Tim rejoiced in their beautiful prize. To preserve it 
fresh Ned fastened a piece of strong line around the tail, 
and then placed it in deep water secured to a peg upon the 
bank : thus it quickly recovered from its fatigue. 

In about an hour Ned had another run, and captured a 
fish of the same species that weighed nearly forty pounds, 
which he landed upon the sand-bank in a similar manner to 
the first. They had again pushed off in the canoe wnen 
Tim perceived something like the back of a large turtle 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


289 


above the surface of the water, and upon quietly paddling 
toward it he discovered that it was the flank of the hippo- 
potamus at which he had fired, which now floated. This 
animal always sinks to the bottom when first killed, but in 
about an hour and a half, when the gas has distended the 
body, it rises to the surface. Here was an additional sup- 
ply of food; and returning to the shore Ned procured a 
rope, which they made fast to one of the hind legs, and 
towed the carcass to the bank, where it awaited the arrival 
of the natives. 

In the evening the hunters returned, having completed 
their task, and upon hearing of the fresh supply they im- 
mediately set to work upon the hippopotamus. 

In the mean while Tim, ever mindful of the cooking de- 
partment, dug a hole in the ground, about four feet deep 
and three in diameter, like a well with perpendicular sides, 
and having collected a large quantity of fuel he lighted a 
fire witliin the hole, which he fed with logs of dry wood, 
so that it burned fiercely for four hours : by the expiration 
of this time the sides of the pit were red hot, and the bot- 
tom was a mass of glowing embers. Into this natural oven 
he placed the two fore feet of an elephant with a portion of 
the trunk and the four feet of the hippopotamus. He then 
covered the hole with bars of green wood, upon which he 
piled a few armsful of green and well-wetted flags that he 
procured from the lake. He then plastered the whole sur- 
face thickly with mud, upon which he piled earth and sods 
firmly beaten down until it resembled a grave ; this was to 
retain the heat within the oven. This supply of meat 
would be thoroughly roasted in about thirty-six hours. 

Having dined sumptuously off hippopotamus liver cut 
into steaks and grilled, with slices of the fish fried in hippo- 
potamus fat, Ned and Tim threw themselves upon their 
mats close to a blazing fire, and slept during the night. 


290 


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On waking upon the following morning Ned found the 
camp already astir. The natives had made numerous fires, 
upon which large earthenware pots were arranged, and the 
whole party was occupied in boiling down the fat of both 
elephants and hippopotamus. The residue of the meat, 
after boiling, was carefully stored in goat-skin sacks, and 
was considered a great delicacy. No fat can equal that of 
the hippopotamus in mildness of flavor; this was poured 
while warm into gourd-shells, and allowed to harden. The 
bladders of the elephants were also filled with fat, and not 
even the smallest portion of the numerous large animals 
was wasted. Another day was passed in drying and pack- 
ing their harvest of meat. On the next day Ned opened 
the subterranean oven. Upon removing the earth the coat- 
ing of mud was found to be perfectly hard like a thick crust ; 
beneath this the flags had retained sufficient moisture to 
prevent them from being burned, although the oven was 
still hot and steaming. With some difficulty the men now 
lifted out the immense feet of the elephant, together with 
the other baked meats, all of which were laid upon a mat 
strewn with green reeds. The elephant’s feet were ex- 
tremely curious, as the soles became detached from the foot 
upon a gentle pressure, and exposed a white and inviting 
surface beneath ; this was a firm, but fatty substance that 
was extremely rich and gelatinous. Having taken off the 
elephant’s shoes the feet were divided among the party, and 
Ned thought that he had never eaten any thing more de- 
licious. 

As the labor of preparing the store of meat was com- 
pleted the natives wished to return home, as the canoes 
would be nearly filled. They accordingly launched their 
vessels, and loaded them with dried flesh, fat, and elephants’ 
tusks, together with pieces of giraffe hide cut into oblong 
shapes that were to be manufactured into shields. Every 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 291 

thing was ready for a start on the morrow, and Ned strolled 
about half a mile from the camp before sunset, and climbed 
a high rock to enjoy a more extensive view of the land- 
scape. From this position he looked down upon the camp, 
at the same time he commanded a view of the pass in 
which he had killed so many elephants. As his eyes in- 
stinctively wandered to the scene of his first night’s sport 
he was astonished to see issuing stealthily from the gorge 
into the low ground a long string of blacks in single file, all 
armed with bows and spears. For about ten minutes he 
watched them attentively. Some were painted a bright 
red: these Ned supposed to be chiefs, as they were at reg^ 
ular intervals in the file of men which still continued to 
pour from the ravine. Marching directly for a small thick- 
et that was near the edge of the lake the entire party of 
about five hundred men was suddenly concealed. This had 
taken place so suddenly and quietly that Ned could hardly 
believe his eyes. There could be no doubt that the large 
armed force was lying in ambush for some hostile purpose, 
and as Ned would be forced to pass within a few hundred 
yards of the thicket to regain the camp he felt that his po- 
sition was extremely hazardous. It was necessary to give 
an immediate alarm to his party, but the great difficulty lay 
in effecting a junction. There was a small dry water-course 
that led from the hill to the lake, and Ned immediately de- 
termihed to crawl along the bottom until he should gain 
the rushes that bordered the water, after which he would 
have no difficulty in reaching the canoes, where the men 
were still engaged. There was no time to lose. Sliding 
upon his back down the steep hill-side, Ned reached the 
water-course. This was tolerably deep in parts, so that he 
could cover his advance by simply stooping; but in the 
more rocky portions of the trench it was shallow, and hp 

was forced to crawl upon his hands and knees. He had 

19 


292 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


gained one of these exposed positions when he turned his 
head toward the thicket, and he distinctly observed two na- 
tives peering out from the place of ambush. Ned lay flat 
upon the ground, and did not move for several minutes. 
Again he slowly raised his head : he could see no one, and 
once more he crawled along the ground until he arrived in 
a deeper portion of the water-course. He then hurried 
along in a stooping position, and at length gained the reeds 
at the water’s edge. Under cover of the reeds he splashed 
through mud and water until he at length reached the ca- 
noes. Tim was the first person whom he met, as he had 
been fishing in the lake and had just returned with several 
natives. Upon hearing Ned’s account rapidly delivered 
Tim immediately informed his native companions. In an 
instant they rushed to the camp for their arms, followed by 
Ned and Tim. Upon arrival the entire party would have 
been seized with a panic had not Ned at once assumed the 
command. 

Upon order being restored, the natives explained that the 
people whom Ned had seen must be men of a hostile tribe, 
who had upon a former occasion massacred a hunting-party 
similar to the present expedition ; they had no doubt been 
informed by spies of their presence, and they would attack 
from their ambush during the night. It would be impossi- 
ble to resist them, as they were warriors renowned for the 
impetuosity of their onset. Thus a force of five hundred 
men would annihilate a small party at the first rush. 

As the canoes were loaded, Ned proposed that they 
should embark at once and push off from the shore. It was 
growing dusk, and they would avoid the confusion of a night 
attack, should they be assailed when the enemy perceived 
their retreat to the boats. Not a moment was lost. Ned 
ordered the natives to march in a compact body to the ca- 
noes, while he and Tim would bring up the rear. Drawing 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


293 


the bullets from their guns, the two lads recharged them 
with buck-shot, which, in the event of a fight, would take a 
greater effect upon a mass of men. Ned had the brace of 
pistols in his belt that he had found in Stevens’s chest, and he 
felt no doubt that the report and effect of fire-arms would 
paralyze the attack sufficiently to allow them to push off in 
their canoes. He gave the word “ forward,” and his little 
body of fifty men, with their arrows ready fixed upon their 
bows, advanced steadily but quickly forward, while he and 
Tim followed a few paces in the rear. 

Hardly had they quitted the screen of jungle which pro- 
tected their camp than their retreat was observed by the 
party in ambush in the thicket some hundred yards on their 
right. In the instant a wild yell was raised by an invisible 
enemy, who almost at the same moment burst from the wood 
and with savage screams and shouts came rushing across the 
open ground to intercept the route, and to cut off the ca- 
noes. 

“ Steady !” cried Ned ; “ keep together, my men which 
Tim interpreted immediately, and the party continued their 
course at a quick walk. 

They were much nearer to the canoes than the enemy, 
and Ned, with cool judgment, calculated that they would 
reach fhem at a walk before the hostile party could gain 
them at full speed. They would accordingly have time to 
push off from the shore, provided that the embarkation were 
conducted without confusion. They were within a hundred 
yards of the boats that were afloat in the little bay among 
nishes, while the enemy was about three times that distance 
from them, advancing at full speed, in a confused mass of 
yelling naked savages. Ned quickly gave the order that 
every man should run to his own boat in which he had ar- 
rived. In an instant his fifty blacks rushed forward, and di- 
viding into tens, the individual crews of the five canoes leaped 


294 


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on board and took their places with the paddles in their 
hands by the time that Ned and Tim had reached the bank. 
A flight of arrows now fell around them as the enemy, al- 
ready within eighty yards of their expected prey, shot wild- 
ly at full speed and happily missed all but the canoes, in the 
sides of which several arrows remained fixed. Ned and Tim 
now jumped on board two canoes, and as the paddles struck 
the water with the powerful stroke of ten men, both opened 
fire from, the stern upon the crowd of savages at about fifty 
paces distant. Thirty buck-shot rattled among them like 
hail, and five or six men fell, while others were wounded. 
This unexpected volley for the instant checked their advance, 
and before they could recover from their confusion the left- 
hand barrels opened and scattered destruction among their 
ranks. Ned now loaded with ball as the canoes increased 
the distance between them, and two or three shots fired into 
the baffled crowd sent them scampering off in all directions, 
leaving several dead and wounded upon the ground. A loud 
cheer was now raised by the crews of the canoes, who ceased 
paddling, and waved their paddles in the air in defiance of 
their beaten enemy. So excited had they become, and so 
thoroughly confident in their leader, that they besought Ned 
to allow them to return to shore for the purpose of attack- 
ing their crest-fallen antagonists. 

Ned was unwilling to shed blood except in self-defense, 
therefore he restrained their exuberant valor, and desired 
them to pull steadily along the coast toward their own home, 
where they would be received with a hearty welcome, as they 
were heavily laden with hunting spoils. For some hours 
they paddled in silence, as the night was dark and they were 
obliged to keep a good lookout ahead ; but when at length 
the moon rose and shone brilliantly over the calm surface of 
the lake they burst out into songs that lasted until sunrise. 
The substance of their minstrelsy was a description of all 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


29 h 


that had taken place during their expedition. This was gen- 
erally improvised by one man who sang in a kind of reci- 
tative, and at the end of each verse a wild chorus was join- 
ed in by the whole crew. Thus were Ned’s praises sung, 
neither was Tim nor even Nero omitted from the ode, but 
all the principal performers were introduced, and the vari- 
ous scenes described, even to the yells and shouts of the at- 
tacking enemy, and the reports of the fire-arms in the de- 
fense. 

In spite of the savagery of the music, there was an inde- 
scribable enthusiasm and an energy in the chorus that was 
contagious, and in the pale moonlight, with the regular splash, 
of the paddles that kept an even accompaniment, Ned found 
himself joining with the wild voices around him ; while Tim, 
not content with forming one of the chorus, improvised sev- 
eral verses in his native tongue in honor of “Massa Ned” 
that produced roars of applause. 

The rowers had worked well during the night, and at 
about ten o’clock the canoes were within sight of the vil- 
lage to which they belonged. Their approach was quickly 
observed, and crowds of people assembled on the shore to 
welcome them on landing. Hardly had the canoes touched 
the sandy beach than they were dragged in triumph to the 
land, wfiile the women yelled in honor of their arrival. The 
cargo was discharged with great rapidity by a numerous 
band, and was transported to the village, where Ned was 
quickly brought into the presence of the king. Drums 
were beaten, horns blown, and great rejoicing accompanied 
their return. The king -was seated upon his leopard skins, 
and he received Ned with great courtesy, while the princi* 
pal man of the hunting-party recounted the incidents of the 
expedition. Loud shouts of applause were raised at various 
portions of the narrative when Ned’s hunting exploits were 
described ; but when the attack and defeat of their old ene- 


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mies were told with extreme energy the crowd could no 
longer restrain their enthusiasm, but broke out into wild 
yells of approbation, and crowded around Ned to kiss his 
hands after their peculiar fashion, by touching the palms 
with the tip of their tongues. 

From that day Ned was almost as great a man as the 
king, to whom he acted as counselor and guide in all the 
affairs of his territory. He was thus enabled to materially 
improve the condition of the people. They, in common 
with all negroes, were exceedingly improvident, and neg- 
lected the cultivation of their fields, rather depending 
upon the precarious success of their hunting expeditions 
than upon a system of steady industry. Thus they were 
liable to periodical famines. Ned advised the king to in- 
sist upon the cultivation of a certain area of ground in pro- 
portion to the number of the population, which should in- 
sure a supply of corn that would render them independent 
of a bad harvest on the following season. Although this 
law was at first extremely unpopular it was rigidly obeyed, 
and in the course of a few months a large tract of land was 
cleared and brought into cultivation. Various improve- 
ments were gradually effected, and Ned, having almost su- 
preme power, considered it to be his duty to ingraft, if pos- 
sible, in the native mind a belief in a Supreme Being. At 
present they were utterly devoid of a religious sentiment ; 
they had neither an idea of a God nor of a future existence. 

The task of conversion that Ned contemplated with the 
sanguine hopes of youth was far more difficult than he had 
conceived. There was a complete void in the native mind 
of all spiritual belief ; they had neither idols nor temples, 
but their ideas were concentrated upon things temporal, 
and they could understand nothing concerning a future 
state, unless the God of that future should grant them the 
desires of the present. Thus Ned labored in vain; his de- 


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297 


Jcriptions of spiritual blessings were listened to with apathy, 
or encountered with practical remarks that entirely para- 
lyzed Ned’s attempts at theological explanations. “ If your 
God is good,” replied his hearers, “ why does he kill us ? 
why do mothers die and leave their children helpless ? If 
you say that He will hear your prayers, call upon Him that 
our cows shall give more milk, and that the locust shall dis- 
appear from our crops.” 

Ned could make no impression upon their obtuse intel- 
lects; they were too selfishly practical to understand the 
theory of religion ; their only idea of a God was a temporal 
benefit that could be derived from the object of worship ; 
to pray was to solicit a favor ; to ask for a reward to beg 
for some special thing. Should this demand not be granted, 
where was the use of prayer ? They did not require a God 
unless He would grant them all that they desired. When 
Ned endeavored to convince them of a future existence they 
flatly denied the fact, and, moreover, they did not wish to 
live again when they once should die. “ To live twice is 
to die twice; nothing can last forever. We die, and all is 
ended like a fire that is burned out,” declared one of the 
king’s sorcerers with whom Ned attempted to argue. It 
was simply impossible to make the slightest impression 
upon their feelings ; their belief did not extend beyond the 
power of sorcery, which had no connection with spiritual 
agencies ; this faculty was supposed to be possessed by par 
ticular individuals who could produce rain, foretell events, 
and create spells and charms that would preserve the wear- 
er from evil. 

Ned was always curiously watched whenever he referred 
to the “ Nautical Almanac.” As he turned over each leaf 
the king’s sorcerers would gaze intently at the mysterious 
* characters on the page, and wonder at the hidden meaning. 
One day as Ned was examining the book for the declination 


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of a star he happened to observe that an eclipse of the sun 
would take place upon a certain day, and that it would be 
visible from the position of the earth which he then occu- 
pied. He at once seized upon an idea by which he hoped 
to explain to his obtuse hearers the existence of a God. 
The sun was bright and the sky without a cloud when the 
king and his chief people, together with his sorcerers, w r ere 
sitting beneath the shade of a huge sycamore, while Ned 
with his sextant took a meridian altitude ; as usual his pro- 
ceedings were watched with great curiosity. Ned had by 
this time learned sufficient of the native language to con- 
verse with tolerable ease, but upon difficult occasions he ob- 
tained Tim’s assistance, who was now present as interpret 
er. Ned had just noted down his observation when the 
king asked why he regarded the sun and the stars so fre- 
quently ? 

“ Because,” replied Ned, “ they are the most wonderfuY 
works of God ; each star is a world ; many are far larger 
than this globe ; some revolve around certain suns, as our 
earth revolves round our glorious sun, which is the main- 
spring of all life.” 

Tim put this into his native tongue, and the king made 
a short remark. 

“ What does he say?” asked Ned. 

“ He says, * Dat’s a lie !’ ” replied Tim. 

At this flat denial of the planetary system Ned felt the 
impossibility of an explanation. He accordingly requested 
Tim to ask the king for his opinion regarding the sun. The 
question having been put, the king consulted the sorcerers 
around him, and after an animated discussion Tim inter- 
preted hi3 reply : 

“ De king say, MassaNed, dere no such ting as one sun; 
got plenty suns ; ebery morning one new sun come up out 
pf de ’arth same like a pumpkin ; den he climb up de sky 


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299 


all day, and die when de night come, and bury ’sself in de 
ground.” 

“And what does he think of the moon ?” asked Ned. 

After considerable discussion between the sorcerers and 
the king, Tim replied : 

“ De king say, de young moon come very thin and hun- 
gry up in de sky ; den she swaller a lot of stars ebery night 
and grow a little fat ; den at last she swaller too many stars 
and swell ’sself out and bust herself right off ’xactly.” 

“Tim,” said Ned, solemnly, “these people are stupid 
creatures, but tell them that there shall be a sign in six 
days from this time that shall teach them the truth. Tell 
them that the Great Spirit who made all things shall darken 
the sun, and the moon shall pass across its face.” 

“Massa Ned,” replied Tim, thoughtfully, “p’raps better 
not tell ’em dat story ; now de nigger b’lieve all Massa Ned’s 
talk, but tell ’em one lie den upset de boat ’xactly !” 

Ned was highly amused at Tim’s honest but ignorant 
advice, and he had some trouble in explaining to him the 
nature of an eclipse ; but when at length he showed him 
the exact hour in the “Nautical Almanac” at which the 
event would take place Tim at once appreciated the import- 
ance of the phenomenon, although half incredulous of the 
fact. He now interpreted Ned’s prophecy that at the ex- 
piration of six days a sign should be seen that would prove 
the existence of the Great Creator, as the sun- should be 
darkened at midday. 

At this announcement the entire crowd raised a shout of 
incredulity, and the king having applied to his sorcerers, 
who shook their heads in derision, turned angrily toward 
Ned and spoke for some minutes in great excitement. 

“ Massa Ned,” said Tim, “ better not tell dat kind of talk. 
De king very angry; look what he say! He say: ‘How de 
white man dare trow de dust in de king’s eye ? Tell him 


300 


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one big lie like dat make him look like one big fool ’fore 
his people !’ Den de sorcerers say, ‘ Try him ! if he make 
de sun black, all right ; if he not make de sun black, kill 
him, dat’s de trick !’ ” 

At this moment loud murmurs arose among the crowd, 
and the king rose and retired with his sorcerers without 
taking the slightest notice of Ned. The sorcerers had al- 
ways been jealous of Ned’s supremacy, and they now seized 
the opportunity of prejudicing the king’s mind against 
him ; several gave advice that he should at once be put to 
death for having attempted to deceive by so gross a false- 
hood; but the king, having duly considered the matter, 
came to the conclusion that some great evil might befall 
the country should he take Ned’s life unjustly, therefore it 
would be wiser to await the time when the phenomenon 
was to take place. Should Ned’s prophecy be correct, there 
could be no doubt that he was a wonderful sorcerer ; but 
should it fail, he would be an impostor who should be just- 
ly punished. In the mean time Ned was regarded with 
great suspicion. 

On the morning of the promised day one of the king’s 
cows had twin calves at sunrise ; and upon the intelligence 
being received, he immediately arose in astonishment, and 
beat his huge drum to summon the attendance of his sor- 
cerers and counsellors. They had hardly arrived and heard 
the news from the king’s own mouth, as he sat upon his 
leopard skins beneath the great sycamore, when a messen- 
ger rushed in haste to his presence and informed him that 
one of his wives had just presented him with twin boys. 
Loud murmurs of astonishment were raised by the assem- 
bled crowd, and the sorcerers immediately advised the king 
to beat the drum and summon the whole population to hear 
the wonderful news that the favorite cow and the favorite 
wife had produced twins almost in the same hour. Upon 


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301 


this the king bent the drum, and every headman of a town 
quarter replied upon his drum, which general summons was 
almost immediately followed by a crowd of people who col- 
lected from all quarters and sat upon the ground, complete- 
ly thronging the open space around the sycamore. 

The king now addressed the multitude, and explained 
chat he considered this unexpected blessing must be the re- 
sult of magic ; that the white man had promised a won ler- 
ful sign upon this day, when the moon should darken the 
face of the sun, which they all knew must be impossible. 
If indeed this should take place there could be no doubt 
that he was the greatest sorcerer that had ever lived ; but 
if, on the other hand, the sun should remain bright, there 
could be little doubt that the birth of two sets of twins was 
a sign that must be followed by the death of the white man. 
A loud cry of assent from some thousand voices followed 
the king’s address, and a messenger was immediately sent to 
summon the attendance of Ned and Tim. Upon their arrival 
the decision of the king was at once made known to them. 

“ Dis a very bad job, Massa Ned,” said Tim ; “ a foolish 
bus’ness ’xactly ; if de .sun not turn black, dese black nig- 
gers kill Massa Ned. What can do to change dis bus’ness, 
Massa Ned ?” 

“ Don’t be afraid, Tim,” replied Ned ; “ the eclipse must 
take place between noon and one o’clock ; we shall triumph 
if you translate what I tell you without flinching. Tell the 
king,” continued Ned, as he rose and fixed a lance perpen- 
dicularly in the ground, “ that before the shadow shall reach 
this line (which he marked in the dust with his foot) the 
sun will be darkened ; and if my words are untrue he may 
drive that lance through my body.” 

With much reluctance Tim interpreted the ominous sen- 
tence, which was received by the king and the crowd in 
deep silence. 


302 


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With much tact Ned then demanded of the king that 
twenty oxen should immediately be slaughtered and dis- 
tributed to the multitude to celebrate the occasion. A loud 
cheer burst from the crowd at this demand, and the king 
having assented, the oxen were shortly brought to the spot 
and slaughtered ; at the same time a huge fire was lighted, 
and long strips of flesh were thrown into the blaze and di- 
vided when half cooked among the thousands present. 

This savage feasting consumed the interval, and twelve 
o’clock arrived by the time that the remnants were cleared 
away and the feast was over. 

Ned now rose from the ground and drove the people 
from the spot in which he had placed the lance, while he 
deepened the line with a burned stick that was to mark the 
limit of the shadow. The king and his sorcerers now anx 
iously watched his proceedings; but none more eagerly 
than Tim, who dreaded the result of failure. 

At first the lance threw no shadow, as the sun was ver- 
tical; but slowly the dark line began to lengthen toward 
the east. Many of the crowd now stood up in their excite- 
ment to watch the gradually increasing shadow, while some 
attempted to gaze at the glaring sun that shone in a spot- 
less sky with a power that appeared unquenchable. 

The time passed on, and the shadow of the lance grew r 
longer, and stretched nearer and nearer to the fatal limit. 
Tim’s heart beat quick, and he fixed his eyes upon Ned in 
despair, as at length the dark line extended within a few 
inches of the mark. The crowd began to murnlur, and the 
sorcerers whispered to the king and shook their heads in 
derision of Ned’s presumption. The king’s features as- 
sumed an expression of angry discontent as he leaned for- 
ward to see whether the shadow had reached the defined 
limit, at the same time he beckoned to a huge black whom 
Ned knew to be his principal executioner. This brutal- 


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303 


looking fellow advanced with a rope wound round his 
waist, with which he was accustomed to tie the arms of his 
victims, and he smiled grimly at Ned, as though he con- 
sidered him already in his power. 

Ned himself began to fear that he had made some error 
in the calculation of the hour, as the shadow of the lance 
almost reached the line ; when a sudden gloom, as though a 
passing cloud, caused the shadow to disappear. Ned sprang 
from the ground, and raising his extended arms toward the 
heavens he invoked the protection of the Almighty in a 
loud clear voice that produced a startling effect upon the 
king. The gloom increased, and shortly a black shadow 
veiled a portion of the sun, and a dark sphere crept slowly 
but surely over its disk. It was like the dim twilight of 
evening gradually increasing toward darkness, and the round 
black object could now be seen creeping across the sun, un- 
til merely a thin crescent of its light remained. 

With a loud cry the king and all his people threw them- 
selves upon the ground, and hid their faces in their hands ; 
Ned and Tim alone remained standing amid the crowd of 
prostrate savages. 

“ Cry out, Tim, in your loudest voice,” said Ned : “ This 
is the work of the Great Spirit that the white man serves ! 
this is the hand of his God !” 

Tim repeated these words with great energy in the na- 
tive tongue ; the whole crowd groaned with terror. 

“ Cry out again, Tim,” said Ned : “ Rise up and the sun 
will regain its light !” 

At these words the king arose trembling, together with 
some of his people ; but the greater number still remained 
prostrate upon the earth. Ned then approached the king, 
and directed his attention to the sun, which slowly resumed 
its brilliant proportions as the eclipse passed away. 

Turning to his chief executioner the king gave some di- 


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rections, and before Ned could interfere the sorcerers who 
had advised his death were seized and strangled upon the 
spot, and their bodies were dragged outside the town to be 
devoured by the hyenas that prowled around the entrance 
during the night. 

The king and all his people were now thoroughly com 
vinced that the birth of the double twins was the work of 
Ned’s magic, and he was looked upon as the most wonder- 
ful sorcerer that had ever been known : thus from that day 
he had the highest position in the state, and he was hourly 
tormented by applicants of both sexes for charms and tal- 
ismans against every imaginable evil. 

With all this influence he had been unable to inculcate 
the true ideas of religion in their savage minds. Some few 
indeed professed to believe in the Great Spirit that had 
darkened the sun ; but the death of a goat or a cow was in 
all cases sufficient to dispel their belief in a God who allow- 
ed their cattle to die. 

Prisoners in this land of heathens, and apparently cut off 
from the rest of the world forever, and from his loved home 
and Edith, we must leave Ned and Tim and return to other 
scenes. 


CHAPTER XVII. 


fTHVE years had passed away since the memorable day 
^ when the body of the brave Dick Stone had been 
committed to the waves, and the dismasted Polly had been 
towed into Falmouth by the British cruiser. The gallant 
defense of the lugger against a superior force, and the dex- 
terous escape of the crew from a French prison through the 
intervention of Leontine, had made a great sensation at a 
time when hardly a week passed in England without some 
deed of daring that claimed the admiration of the world. 
Leontine, upon her arrival in Falmouth, had found herself 
in the position of a heroine rather than a prisoner, and upon 
her devotion and brave conduct being made known to the 
authorities she was rewarded by the freedom of her brother 
Victor, who was in the Falmouth jail. It was a happy day 
for Leontine when the order for his release arrived, and she 
was permitted to visit the prison and throw herself in her 
brother’s arms as his unexpected deliverer. She had been 
kindly received by the mayoress of the town, who had sup- 
plied her with clothes, and after a few weeks’ delay both she 
and her brother, with other French prisoners, were forward- 
ed to France in exchange for British sailors who had been 
captured in merchant vessels. 

In the mean time, while Leontine had been rendered hap- 
py, a cloud of misery had shrouded the cottage on the cliff 
at Sandy Cove. The few men who had remained among 
the Polly’s crew after the fatal engagement returned to the 
Cove from Falmouth, and the wailing of women in the lit- 


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au6 

tie village for husbands and sons lost in the action was the 
first sound that had struck upon Polly Grey’s ears a few 
minutes before Joe Smart arrived and gently broke the 
dreadful intelligence. Paul Grey had been seen to fall in 
the heat of the fight, and there could be no doubt of his 
death. 

Polly was stunned by the shock of this overwhelming af- 
fliction ; her heart was withered by the blow, as all the fond 
hopes with which she had comforted herself in her husband’s 
absence were thus crushed forever. It was long before she 
could weep, and for days she sat upon the terrace-wall and 
gazed at the barren sea, as though she still hoped that the 
well-known sail would reappear, and that she might once 
more clasp her arms around Paul’s neck. She would then 
retire to her cottage and open the drawers and look at the 
clothes in which she had often seen him ; every thing that 
he had worn had become dear to her, and all that had been 
his was now sacred ; there was the red woolen comforter 
that she had knitted for him, and this she took in her hands, 
and letting it fall upon the ground she fell upon her knees, 
and burying her face upon the bed, she sobbed bitterly : 

“ O God ! I am a widow, and my boy Ned is also gone !” 
she cried, as she appealed in the agony of her grief to Him 
for comfort. 

In this hour of deep affliction she was not alone : she had 
a devoted friend and comforter in Edith, who loved her 
fondly, and who strove with affectionate care to soothe her 
distress. Mrs. Jones, who had passed through a similar bit- 
ter trial, showed her the greatest kindness, and it was re- 
solved that the cottage at Sandy Cove should be sold, as the 
scene of the old home only served to awaken painful recol- 
lections. 

When a few weeks had passed, and the first- burst of grief 
was over, Polly mournfully turned her thoughts to her late 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


30 : 

husband’s affairs. She was in debt to Captain Smart, as he 
had advanced considerable sums to liquidate various claims. 
She therefore proposed that all the effects, together with 
the cottage, should be sold, and that the Polly should be put 
up to auction at Falmouth, as it would be useless to enter 
upon the expense of the necessary repairs. 

It went to Polly’s heart to part with Paul’s old lugger ; 
but as Joe Smart was her counsellor, and he declared it to 
be positively necessary, she at length decided, and it was 
sold at Falmouth for £ 160 . 

The cottage remained; and this, together with the fur- 
niture and nets, etc., was shortly advertised for auction, and 
upon the appointed day the people of the neighborhood as- 
sembled at the sale. Joe Smart was not only the active 
manager of the affair, but he had determined to become the 
purchaser of the cottage, which would thus relieve him from 
the unpleasantness of receiving money from the widow of 
his friend Paul for sums that he had advanced. He there- 
fore outbid the highest offer, and became the proprietor, 
not only of the cottage, but of the principal articles of fur- 
niture. 

When all the little property was realized through the 
care and industry of Joe Smart, Polly found herself pos- 
sessed of about £ 300 . Although the interest of this small 
sum was only fifteen pounds a year, it was sufficient for her 
simple wants, as she resided with Mrs. Jones and Edith at 
the rectory as one of their family, while Captain Smart call- 
ed twice a week to arrange the accounts of the estate. 

As some months passed by Joe Smart appeared to find 
an increase of business that claimed a greater share ot his 
attention ; at all events his visits became more frequent at 
the rectory, and Mrs. Jones felt at some moments qualms of 
uneasiness as she imagined that she was the object of moi<? 
than his ordinary attention. 


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Years had passed, and the widow, Mrs. Jones, had long 
since thrown off her weeds, and had quite resolved that 
Captain Smart’s constant visits to the rectory were directed 
specially to herself. In the mean time Polly Grey had nev- 
er forsaken her mourning; although saddened in manner, 
she still retained the sweetness of her youth with much of 
her original beauty ; she devoted herself chiefly to visiting 
the poor of the neighborhood, and attending to the village 
school, trusting that the charitable duties of life would af- 
ford pleasures to compensate in some measure for a past 
happiness that could never be renewed. The world might 
have supposed that Polly had no care except the recollection 
of old times, but she had one cause of deep anxiety — -Joe 
Smart loved her. She was the love of his boyhood, and he 
had proved his affection through life with unvarying devo- 
tion ; he had been her adviser and guide in Paul’s absence ; 
and since his death she was under countless obligations to 
him, as he had stood more in the position of a brother than 
a friend. Is was natural that Polly should regard Joe Smart 
with warm affection : on the other hand, although he loved 
her with devotion, he almost dreaded to declare his feelings, 
lest she should consider that she was forced to accept him 
after the numerous obligations she owed to him. At length 
the warmth of his passion overcame this generous delicacy 
of feeling, and Joe Smart declared his love, and offered her 
as honorable and manly a heart as ever beat in a sailor’s 
breast. 

It was with real sorrow that Polly witnessed the effect 
of her refusal. The active and sprightly Joe Smart became 
an altered man : his early hopes had been destroyed by her 
marriage with Paul, and with unchanging love he had al- 
most worshiped her ; in the distress of her widowhood he 
had been her comforter, and he had looked forward not only 
to complete his own happiness but to render her once more 


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309 


joyous by making her his wife. Polly had received his 
declaration with tender regret, and she had gently but firm- 
ly assured him of her love and respect, together with her 
deep gratitude for all the acts of kindness and affection that 
he had bestowed upon her through so many years; but she 
implored him as her truest friend never again to speak of 
marriage, as she was determined to die a widow. It was in 
vain that Joe Smart endeavored to change her determina- 
tion. Polly loved him as a brother, but she would not hear 
of marriage. She had frequently declared to him that she 
was happy in her present position, and that she considered 
it to be her duty to remain a widow. She cherished Paul’s 
memory with deep affection, and she loved to talk with Joe 
Smart over all the daring acts that he had performed in his 
adventurous life : the last scene of his bravery, when he met 
his death, she dwelt upon with untiring energy and pride, 
and she expressed impatience upon only one point — for 
death, that she might join him once more in heaven and 
tell him how true and devoted she had been. This exam- 
ple of her affectionate constancy only served to heighten 
Joe Smart’s admiration and love, and although firmly re- 
fused he still hoped that at some future time she would re- 
lent and sympathize with his feelings. In the mean time, 
Mrs. Jones had a great regard for the handsome one-armed 
sailor, who was always welcome at the rectory, and was re- 
ceived almost as a member of the family. 

In this manner five years had passed away. Polly was 
now a handsome woman of forty, and was but little changed, 
but there was one in whom a few years had made a wonder- 
ful alteration. It was on a fine summer Sabbath that Polly 
was on her way to church accompanied by a lovely girl 
about twenty years of age, who leaned upon her arm and 
shaded her with her parasol from the glare of the morning 
sun : her beautiful complexion and large blue eyes would 


310 


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alone nave made her striking, but her regular features and 
the peculiar amiability of her expression rendered Edith a 
perfection of charms that is rarely seen. 

She was seated between her mother and Polly Grey. It 
was during the second lesson, when the church was per- 
fectly quiet, a somewhat heavy footstep sounded in the 
aisle as a person entered the door and walked straight to- 
ward Squire Stevens’s pew, in which he took his seat. The 
old squire had been dead for some years, and nothing had 
been heard of his son. The action between the Sybille and 
the Forte had been a theme of glory for the day ; but hav- 
ing been duly chronicled among other brilliant achievements 
of the navy it had ceased to be of public interest — the dead 
had been mourned for, and the crape had long since been 
.aid aside : and as the Forte had never been heard of, she 
was considered to have been lost with all hands. 

Nothing had been heard of Ned. In those days there 
was no regular mail from India, but the letters for England 
were dispatched by the first vessel that chanced to sail ; 
thus as the Forte had been rapidly repaired she was the 
first upon the list, and Ned had expected to bring home 
the glad tidings of his arrival in person. 

Edith had never forgotten the love of her girlhood, and 
although time and altered circumstances had so far modi- 
fied her sorrow at Ned’s mysterious disappearance that 
she had ceased to be absolutely unhappy, she rigidly exe- 
cuted her promise, and every Sunday evening she strolled 
with either her mother or Polly Grey through the church- 
yard, and removed the weekly weeds from the neatly-kept 
grave beneath the cross marked “A lady unknown.” 
Here she would frequently sit and recall the time when 
Ned sat with her as a lovely boy and talked of the future 
with the enthusiasm of his age; and then a blush would 
tinge her cheek, and a tear for an instant dim her eyes. 


CAST UP Hi THE SEA. 


311 


when she thought of the warm kiss he had given her at 
parting, and the vows that the determined boy had made 
to work his way to win her. 

In the night these old scenes were frequently renewed 
in dreams, and all the characters that were associated with 
Edith’s early youth reappeared in their accustomed places : 
her father, who had been so mysteriously murdered, she had 
sometimes seen as though in life ; Ned had again sat by 
her side beneath the old mulberry-tree that was still hex 
favorite haunt; she had heard Nero’s bark as he came 
bounding toward her ; and then, in wild fitfulness, the char- 
acters had become confused and faded into nothingness and 
mist, through which sometimes flitted the horrible figure of 
an old hag that resembled Mother Lee. The events of her 
youth had thus left a somewhat melancholy impression upon 
Edith’s character. Although so beautiful, she was utterly 
unconscious of her attractions, and her chief happiness de- 
pended upon the duties of her daily life. Deeply religious, 
without appearing to be so except in her general conduct 
and unostentatious charity, she found an intense pleasure in 
ministering to the wants of the poor in her neighborhood, 
by whom she was almost adored.. Her lighter pleasures 
consisted in sketching and attending to her flowers, and in 
charming the ears of all who heard her with her beautiful 
voice ; for of all accomplishments Edith shone most prom- 
inently in music — in fact, many of the poor people of the 
village declared that the Church Service would be nothing 
without Miss Edith’s singing. 

At the time that the stranger took his seat in the squire’s 
pew all eyes were for the instant turned upon him, as it had 
long been vacant, and it was seldom that an unknown per- 
son of the upper class appeared in the secluded village. He 
was a tall and powerful man, exceedingly weather-beaten, 
with a face bronzed by exposure to a hot sun, and much 


312 


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freckled ; his large sandy whiskers gave him an appearance 
of advanced manhood ; but upon closer observation his age 
might have been guessed at twenty-two or three. As Edith 
for a moment observed him she could not help thinking 
that she had seen his face before ; but chasing all other 
thoughts from her mind she directed her attention to the 
•service until it was completed. 

When the throng of the congregation passed down the 
aisle at the conclusion of the sermon Edith remarked that 
the stranger’s eyes were fixed intently upon her ; and hard- 
ly had she quitted the church-yard in company with her 
mother and Polly Grey than he turned round and approach- 
ed her, and stretching out his rough hand in a familiar man- 
ner, he exclaimed, “ Edith Jones, have you forgotten me ?” 

Edith paused, and without accepting his hand she exam- 
ined his features for a few moments, and replied, “ I hope 
you will forgive my want of memory. I think I may have 
seen you before, but I can not recall the occasion.” 

At that instant a peculiar unpleasant expression passed 
over the stranger’s face, and Edith immediately recognized 
Jem Stevens. 

She could no longer withhold her hand, which he press- 
ed warmly as he exclaimed to her mother, “ I am your old 
school-boy, Jem Stevens, Mrs. Jones !” 

The latter lady looked at him for some moments with 
astonishment, and then grasped his hand warmly. 

“ How wonderful !” exclaimed Mrs. Jones. “ Why, it’s 
only the other day, not seven years ago, that you left us a 
mere boy! and you look five-and-twenty ! and your poor 
father’s dead ! and the Hall’s empty ! and all sorts of 
changes have taken place ! My poor husband too ! but of 
course you know. But no, let me see, I don’t suppose you 
do. How should you ? You have been away from England 
all this time, haven’t you? When did you come back? 


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313 


Come along with us and lunch at the rectory, and tell us all 
about yourself !” continued the voluble and impatient Mrs. 
Jones, who overwhelmed him with a string of questions 
without giving him time to reply. 

Now if Mrs. Jones’s thoughts could have been analyzed 
as they rapidly passed through her mind, they would have 
discovered a natural instinct that she would have at once 
denied had the fact been asserted. It really did occur to 
the mother in one moment that Heron Hall would be no bad 
home for Edith ! In another moment she reflected that 
Stevens had been a bad character when at school ; and sub- 
sequently, with the rapidity of lightning, she concluded that 
he must have changed for the better, and she therefore ask- 
ed him to lunch. Stevens accepted the invitation without 
the slightest hesitation, and offering his arm to Mrs. Jones 
while listening to her long list of questions and her rambling 
conversation, he accompanied them to the rectory. 

During luncheon Stevens made himself unusually agree- 
able to Mrs. Jones, and gave her a long description of his 
voyages, and of the engagement between the Sybille and the 
.Forte , in which he described his own prowess as having in 
no small measure contributed to the victory. Mrs. Jones 
was charmed; and when he narrated the subsequent ship- 
wreck of the prize, and the destruction of all the crew with 
the exception of those saved in the cutter, which he de- 
clared he was the last man to enter, the amiable but weak 
lady was moved to tears. Stevens then described the voy- 
age of the cutter to Madagascar, where the crew and him- 
self were made captives by the natives, until, after years of 
suffering, he was at length released by a Portuguese trad- 
ing-vessel that took him to Zanzibar, whence he had only 
arrived on the preceding evening. 

There was much in the story of his adventures that in- 
terested Edith, but she little knew how muck that would 


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have been dear to her he had as yet concealed. He said 
not one word of Ned. 

“What a wonderful change!” exclaimed Mrs. Jones, as 
Stevens took his departure late in the afternoon. “ I never 
could have believed that so bad a boy would have turned 
out so nice a man ; he is really a charming young man ! and 
so clever ! and evidently so very truthful ! There was some- 
thing in his way of telling his stories that seemed to assure 
one of their truth. Well,” continued the enraptured Mrs. 
Jones, “ as your poor father, Edith, used to say, ‘ When the 
wicked man turneth away from his wickedness’ (and of 
course that meant the boy, as men are only bigger boys), 
‘ he shall save his soul alive.’ He was quite right. This is 
a wonderful instance of the works of Providence, my dear 
child, that you should observe attentively. How changed ! 
He is a very nice young man ! so very gentlemanly ! and sc 
good-natured for a man who has fought the French, and 
seen so much of the world. Not at all proud or stuck up; 
and remembered you, Edith, directly, and me, too ; but of 
course a few years make no difference at my age ; as Cap- 
tain Smart remarked the other day, ‘An Englishwoman 
never begins to look her best till she is turned forty.’ A 
very clever man is Captain Smart; very sound judgment; 
if he only had another arm there would be no one like him. 
Then, you see, Heron Hall and a very good fortune belong 
to him, now his father’s dead. I don’t mean to Captain 
Smart, as he died, or rather his father died, long ago, but I 
mean Stevens, as we used to call him, Jem Stevens. James 
is a very pretty name ; one of the apostles was called James ; 
1 wonder whether they ever called him Jem? I hate ab- 
breviations, but Jem is not so very ugly; not so bad as 
Ned, for instance,” said the discursive Mrs. Jones, thought- 
fully. 

“ Ned an ugly name ! X would not wish for a prettier l M 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


315 


exclaimed Edith. “Edward is quite beautiful, and Ned is 
a lovable name, I think.” 

At this juncture Polly Grey joined in the conversa- 
tion and warmly supported Edith, until the argument grew 
hot, and only terminated by each retaining her own opin 
ion. 

From that day Stevens’s visits to the rectory became fre 
quent. By a little judicious flattery he had succeeded in 
captivating Mrs. Jones ; and as Edith, when a girl, had been 
the love of his boyhood, he shortly found himself hopelessly 
smitten with her now ripened charms. 

Edith was fond of riding ; and as she daily cantered her 
pony along the springy green turf above the cliff by the 
sea-side, she was invariably met by Stevens, who joined her 
in her ride. After some months the object of Jem Stevens’s 
visits to the rectory had become unmistakable. He had of- 
fered Edith a beautiful horse, which she would have de- 
clined, but her mother had insisted upon her acceptance of 
the present. 

Polly Grey had watched the growing intimacy with 
anxiety. She had no fear that Edith would lose her heart, 
but she was much afraid that the folly of Mrs. Jones would 
compromise her by giving Stevens an undue encourage- 
ment. She accordingly took an opportunity of speaking to 
Edith on the subject, and the innocent girl was startled at 
the idea that she would be expected to return Jem Stevens’s 
love. 

On the other hand, Mrs. Jones was determined that, if 
possible, the match should come off. She had really learn- 
ed to like Stevens ; and as he was the great landed propri- 
etor of the neighborhood, and Heron Hall was a fine old 
place, she considered that it would be a very desirable mar- 
riage for her daughter: accordingly she one day placed 
the matter clearly before Edith’s view. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


31G 

It was late in the autumn ; and as Edith and her mothei 
were returning from their evening walk they were met by 
a gamekeeper, who had been sent by the young squire with 
a leash of pheasants for Mrs. Jones. 

“ Really, my dear Edith,” said Mrs. Jones, as, after hav 
ing thanked the keeper, she passed on, “ I do not think that 
I ever saw a more lovable young man than James Stevens 
has become.” 

Edith said nothing. 

After a pause her mother continued, “ I think ho is a 
deeply religious young man, and you know, my child, that 
your sainted father w~as partial to religious young men.” 

Edith still remained silent. 

“I think, my dear Edith,” continued Mrs. Jones, im 
pressively, “ I think — that is to say, I do not think, for I 
feel perfectly convinced — that the good and amiable, the 
warm-hearted and deeply religious, James Stevens, who is 
now the proprietor of the Heron Ilall estate, comprising, I 
believe, about 5000 acres, is an unhappy man.” 

“ Unhappy !” replied Edith, “ what should make him so ? 
Surely he has enough of the world’s riches to be happy, 
lie is young, and has no cares. What can you mean, 
mother ?” 

“I mean,” said Mrs. Jones, “that he is in love. I can 
see it in his manner ; he is nervous, Edith. You should be 
kind to him. Your poor father was nervous, and I believe 
he never would have proposed at all had I not given him 
some slight assistance. Hot that I was too forward, quite 
the contrary ; but some men require that particular kind of 
courage, although brave in other respects. James Stevens 
requires assistance, my dear child ; you alone can afford it ; 
you would make him a happy man. Think what a blessing 
it would be to confer happiness upon a fellow-creature, . . « 
•specially with a large lauded estate in our immediate neigh- 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


317 


borhood,” added Mrs. Jones, who had wound herself up to 
a pitch of enthusiasm. 

Although Edith loved her mother, she was not blind to 
her peculiarities, and she had long suspected that she favor- 
ed the suit of Jem Stevens. Edith was more sensible than 
most girls of her age, and she well remembered the charac- 
ter that he had borne at school. She had often heard her 
father remark that “ the boy was the father of the man,” 
and she thoroughly believed in the theory that the man was 
merely an older boy with the same natural character, per- 
haps in some instances modified by circumstances : thus, al- 
though Stevens was much improved, and made himself as 
agreeable as most men, she could not persuade herself to 
trust him. Even had she liked him, there was a something 
which Edith could hardly have defined in the fond recol- 
lection of younger days, when her girlish heart had loved 
Ned Grey. The mystery of his disappearance had given a 
romantic interest to his name, which, although half forgot- 
ten by many, was warmly remembered by her, and if she 
did not consider herself absolutely bound by the vows of a 
childish affection, she could at present feel no other. She 
did not positively dislike Stevens, at the same time she had 
no confidence in her mother’s judgment. Accordingly she 
replied cautiously to her enthusiastic remarks. 

“ My dear mother,” said Edith, “ I can not think that 
you are serious. James Stevens has never said any thing 
that would allow me to presume that I had gained his af- 
fection, neither should I wish for his love. Although he is 
certainly much changed and improved, I can never forget 
his conduct when a boy, and his unmanly hatred of poor 
Ned Grey. I do not believe that boys really change in char- 
acter wdien they become men. They may be too clever and 
cunning to exhibit their true feelings, but the heart remains 
the same.” 


318 


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“ Edith, my dear,” replied her mother, “ you can not pos- 
sibly know any thing about men’s hearts, therefore your re- 
marks are sheer nonsense. You must be guided by me in 
these matters. Do you not believe in conversion? Was 
not St. Paul converted ? and did he not become one of the 
most faithful apostles? St. Paul must have been an ex- 
ceedingly bad boy, if he ever was a boy, for we hear noth- 
ing about his having been a boy in the New Testament, and 
I believe nothing except what is written in the Holy Book ; 
but anyhow, he was converted : therefore, why should not 
James Stevens also have changed in disposition — especially 
now that he has succeeded his father to the estate?” 

“ I do not doubt that you are right, mother dear,” re- 
plied Edith, who knew that contradiction would be useless ; 
“ but I have not the heart to love any man. In fact, I never 
did feel an affection of that nature, except — ” Edith hesi- 
tated. 

“ Except what? when? who?” asked Mrs. Jones in the 
same breath. 

“ Except long ago. I was very fond of poor Ned. He 
was only a boy of fifteen, and I a girl ; but those were very 
happy days. Oh, mother ! what can have become of Ned ; 
I so often think of him, and wonder whether he was 
drowned, poor boy, with my dear old Nero and the negro 
Tim, on that day when they walked on the beach beneath 
the cliffs and the tide came in !” 

“ It is a dreadful mystery indeed,” said Mrs. Jones ; “ but 
life is full of mysteries, my dear. For my part, I have al- 
ways believed that he was drowned, since I changed my 
mind about his complicity in your father’s death.” 

“ That idea was too absurd, mother. My dear father, 1 
know, wished to give me some advice about Ned Grey at 
his last moment, but he had no strength to complete the 
sentence, I have often thought of that sad night since I 


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310 


Haw been more able to form an opinion, and I feel sure that 
my father knew that I loved Ned, and he would have spoken 
to me about him.” 

“ Well, my dear, he would, I am sure, have said it was 
a very foolish thing for two mere children to talk of such 
nonsense as love ; and as to Ned Grey, a poor little found- 
ling, what in the world could he expect? He was a good 
boy certainly, but there are plenty of good boys. Now a 
good position in life is of great importance to a woman, 
and a good boy has seldom a good position.” 

“ Poor Ned !” sighed Edith ; “ the last time that I saw 
him his fine honest face brightened up, and his large blue 
eyes sparkled like fire, as he vowed that he would win a 
position worthy of me. I can see him now ; that manly- and 
generous heart that could think no evil, and would even 
have forgiven Jem Stevens, and have made him his friend, 
if it had been possible to soften such a — Oh, mother !” 
continued Edith, “ do not talk to me of Stevens ! When I 
Icok back to the past and compare him to dear Ned Grey, 
and think what he would say were he alive and knew that 
you counselled me to love his enemy, I feel unworthy of 
him, and almost despise myself that I could listen to such 
advice.” 

The color had rushed to Edith’s cheek, and the tears to 
her eyes, as she thus compared the past with the present, 
and clung with fervor to the warm feelings of her youthful 
days. “ No, mother,” she continued, ( ‘I should be grieved 
to displease you, but my heart is my own, and I can not 
give it to Ned’s enemy.” 

Although Mrs. Jones was a weak woman, she was not 
devoid of a certain amount of tact ; and upon seeing that 
Edith was not in the humor to be driven, she wisely deter- 
mined to postpone her attack until a more favorable oppor- 
tunity : at the same time, with a pertinacity peculiar to her 


320 


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sex, she was resolved not to give up her point, as she had 
persuaded herself that the match with James Stevens, of 
Heron Hall, w r ould be exceedingly satisfactory. There were 
several families in the neighborhood who were anxious that 
their daughters should be intimate with Stevens ; thus, al- 
though Mrs. Jones would not have confessed it to herself, 
she had a feeling of pride that would have delighted in their 
disappointment, should Edith triumph in the love-match. 
She accordingly closed the conversation with the following 
remarks, which were really sincere : 

“ My only child Edith, do not worry yourself when there 
is no cause ; my only wish is to see you happy, and I advise 
you in order to insure your happiness as far as I can fore- 
see. I do not press you to love James Stevens; but as I 
feel sure that he loves you, I give you timely warning with 
the advice that you should at all events not throw cold wa- 
ter upon his attentions. You may like him more when you 
know him better ; and as to his having been Ned Grey’s 
enemy, why, I feel sure, had he lived, James Stevens would 
now have been his friend.” 

On their arrival at the rectory Edith had a long conver- 
sation with Polly, whom she regarded as a second mother, 
but upon whose opinion she placed a much higher value 
than upon that of Mrs. Jones. It was natural that Polly 
Grey should regard Stevens with suspicion, as she had heard 
much of his character in former days from Ned; but on 
the other hand, as she felt convinced that Ned had been 
drowned by the rising tide, she had no feeling of jealousy 
should Edith form a suitable engagement with another per- 
son. Had Ned been alive, a marriage between him and 
Edith, whom she dearly loved, would have been the joy of 
her heart. She knew that Stevens’s position in life would 
be considered, in a worldly sense, as an excellent match for 
Edith ; but she was unable to give her other advice than to 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


321 


wait patiently until she should feel assured, not only of Ste- 
vens’s sincere affection, but of his altered character. 

Not long after this conversation Mrs. Jones took an op- 
portunity of sounding Stevens upon his intentions ; he at 
once declared his love for Edith, which he asserted had nev- 
er varied since the time when he was a boy at school. He 
expressed his regret at the bad conduct of his younger days, 
and showed such contrition for the past that he entirely won 
the heart of the weak Mrs. Jones, who thereupon explained 
to him the state of Edith’s feelings respecting Ned Grey, 
and the resentment that she felt toward him as his former 
enemy : could that dislike be overcome, she did not doubt 
that in a short time Edith’s heart would soften toward him. 

At this intelligence Jem Stevens turned deadly pale, which 
Mrs. Jones attributed to the violence of his affection ; and 
hastily filling a glass of cordial from the sideboard, she in- 
sisted upon his swallowing it, which, as it was an excellent 
mixture of French brandy and bitters, he did without a mo- 
ment’s hesitation. 

A few days after this explanation, Stevens, who daily rode 
over to the rectory, found himself alone with Edith in the 
drawing-room. She had been singing at the piano with such 
exquisite sweetness of voice and taste in execution that even 
Stevens appeared to be touched with the softening spirit of 
her music. Mrs. Jones had prudently left the room, and as 
Stevens was standing by Edith’s side, as though enraptured 
by her song, he gently took her hand and raised it to his 
lips ; at the same time he said, 

“ Forgive me, dearest Edith, but the fault is yours if I am 
wrong ; your song has driven me from my senses ! I can 
conceal it no longer ! I love you to distraction ! Say that I 
may love you, and do not make me miserable by a refusal !” 

At this sudden declaration Edith hastily withdrew her 
hand from Stevens’s grasp, and, rising from the piano, she re 


322 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


garded him fixedly and blushed deeply while, with a, trem« 
bling but decided voice, she said, 

“ I can not say who you may or may not love, Stevens ; 
I have known you many years, and I used to think that you 
loved no one but yourself.” 

u Dearest Edith 1” exclaimed Stevens, “ pardon me for 
the faults of my boyhood. I acknowledge that I was often 
wrong and bad. Say what you will, and I will bear any thing 
from your lips except a word of coldness ! Those days are 
long since past. Try me in every way, and see if I am not 
changed ; only in one thought and feeling I am the same, I 
always loved you when a boy, and I love you now dearer 
than ever, Edith !” 

Edith was for some moments silent; then, fixing her 
large blue eyes upon Stevens as though to read his inmost 
heart, she said in a calm, low voice, as though she had screw- 
ed her courage determinedly to the task, 

“ James Stevens, there shall be no misunderstanding be- 
tween us ; we have known each other too long for unneces- 
sary concealment. You say that you loved me when a boy 
I did not love you, Stevens, but I did love Ned Grey — the 
good, generous, dear Ned Grey — whom you hated. If Ned 
Grey were alive, I would love no other ; if he were poor, I 
am rich, and I should esteem his love as of more value than 
wealth or titles. I should consider it an honor to be loved 
by one so good and true, so brave, and so incapable of a 
mean action as was poor Ned Grey, your enemy !” 

As Edith said this with almost fierce energy, her voice 
choked with emotion toward the latter part of the sentence ; 
then, almost overpowered with her excited feelings, she con- 
tinued bitterly, “ Oh, why did you hate him ? Why did you 
hate all that was good and true ? one whom all loved ? one 
who tried to be your friend ? one whom I loved, and now 
you ask me to love you ? Oh, Stevens, Stevens, we had be t 


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322 


ter say no more ; you have mistaken your own feelings 
Edith hid her face in her hands to conceal her emotion. 

Stevens turned a ghastly white, and trembling from head 
to foot, he suddenly seized both her hands, and drawing them 
from her face while he held them firmly in his grasp, he said 
in a hoarse voice, with intense earnestness, “ Look at me, 
Edith; look at me, and forgive me. If you loved Ned Grey, 
I have a secret that will distress you, although it will be a 
comfort.” 

The blush that had overspread her features suddenly van - 
ished, and a deadly pallor that turned her beautifully chis- 
elled face to marble seized upon her. Releasing her hands 
from his grasp, she caught him by the arm. “ Speak !” she 
cried, in a deep, unnatural voice ; “ what secret can Ned’s 
enemy know that he has concealed till now ?” 

“ I am not his enemy,” said Stevens, who looked like a 
man guilty of murder. “ I was his friend. It is now near- 
ly six years ago that I was on board the Sybille. We had 
left Plymouth the day before, and were bound for India. 
We lay to off this coast to send a boat ashore with our last 
letters : it landed near Sandy Cove. When it returned, two 
lads had been found upon the beach, and the boat’s crew 
had kidnapped and pressed them into the service. A black 
dog was with them. The lads were Ned Grey and the ne- 
gro Tim ; tne dog was Nero.” 

Edith stared wildly at Stevens, and sighed deeply. “ Go 
on,” she said calmly, but despairingly. 

“ Ned was in distress, as he had no means of communica 
iion with home. The shi} sailed to India. We fought a 
I tench frigate, the torte . v hich I have before described to 
you : Ned distinguished himself in the action, and he was 
gent to England in the prize with myself. As you know, 
she was wrecked. I have never dared to tell you his fate, 
as I thought it better to let it remain a mystery. When the 
21 


324 


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ship was wrecked, I saw him and the negro swimming ir. 
the surf. I stretched out an oar from the boat to save him ; 
at that moment a tremendous wave rolled over him, and 
neither he nor the negro appeared on the surface again. We 
rowed for some time backward and forward in hopes of 
finding him at the risk of swamping the boat, but we saw 
no more ; both he and the negro were drowned.” 

Edith sank upon her knees, and clutching vainly at 
something for support, she fell stretched upon the floor. 

For the moment Stevens thought she was dead, and, ter 
rifled at the result of his story, he rang the bell violently, 
and then endeavored to place her upon the sofa. In a few 
moments the house was in a state of excitement. Edith’s 
mother, Polly Grey, and several servants, were endeavoring 
to restore animation. Some time elapsed before Edith re- 
covered sufficiently to be supported to her room, when, as 
her mother was questioning Stevens below stairs, she threw 
her arms around Polly’s neck and gave way to a burst of 
grief. When sufficiently calm to speak she described the 
dreadful story in a voice broken by deep sobs, and Polly 
Grey became overwhelmed with sorrow. 


CHAPTER XVIIL 

4 FEW weeks after the supposed fate of Ned Grey had 
been described by Stevens, Mrs. Jones, who had felt 
deeply for her daughter, endeavored to renew the topic 
that was nearest to her heart. 

“ A very gallant act, my dear, of James Stevens ! In- 
deed it was an act of generous devotion ; he risked his own 
life, and nearly swamped the boat, to save poor Ned. He 
was Ned Grey’s friend, no doubt; or, if he were his enemy, 
the act was doubly generous. Sailors are always gallant 
fellows ! I am glad that Stevens was a sailor. Should I 
ever marry again, I should like to have a husband of that 
profession.” Here Mrs. Jones thought of Captain Smart 
At the same time she continued, 

“ You should make up your mind, Edith, my child ; if 
you loved Ned, you are under an obligation to Stevens for 
his brave attempt to rescue him. I am sure that the rea- 
son of his long silence upon Ned’s fate was his excessive 
modesty: he was over - sensitive, and feared to extol him- 
self. Your poor father used to say in Latin that 4 modesty 
was a good sign in a young man.’ I believe this is in the 
Latin grammar. I wonder they said nothing about mod- 
esty in young women ; perhaps the grammar was only- 
written for boys’ schools. However, I am sure that J ames 
Stevens is a very modest young man, and I confess that I 
should like him as a son-in-law. Think it over, my dear 
child ; forget the past as much as possible We should 
always endeavor to escape from painful -^collections ; we 


326 


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should look forward, and not back. Ned Grey was a 
charming boy : a gentleman born, there can be no doubt. 
I always thought so from the moment that I saw his lovely 
mother’s corpse ; but then he would have had an up-hill 
life, full of cares and troubles. Death has released him. 
Think of him only as a dream of childhood, and make use 
of the present time. There are many worse than James 
Stevens, and in my opinion few are so good. Heron Hall 
is a beautiful place ! I don’t think I ever saw such mag- 
nificent oaks or so fine a park ! Then I can come and see 
you, my darling child, and you will be perfectly happy ! 
Don’t say no, my dear Edith ! Trust to me, for I know 
better than you do what would tend to your future happi- 
ness ; all this cloud about poor Ned will pass away, and 
the future will be as bright as sunshine.” 

Edith listened abstractedly to her mother’s glowing picfc 
ure of her future life. Since the day when Stevens had de- 
scribed the shipwreck and Ned’s death, she had certainly 
leaned more toward him than before, and, as his visits to 
the rectory had been constant, she had often led the con- 
versation to the sad event, and dwelt with a painful interest 
upon all the details of the voyage from the time that Ned 
had first joined the Sybille. With consummate hypocrisy, 
Stevens pretended an extreme friendship for Ned Grey, 
and appeared to sympathize with Edith in her regard for 
his memory; he described, with well -feigned admiration, 
his courage in the action with the Forte , and also Ned’s 
daring act in plunging into the sea to save his life when he 
fell overboard in the voyage from England. 

These, and many other anecdotes in which Ned was 
concerned, served to awaken a common interest between 
Edith and Stevens which her mother lost no opportunity 
of supporting ; nevertheless Edith’s heart was as yet free 
from all warmer feelings than those of a friendly intimacy. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 32 ? 

While Mrs. Jones was endeavoring to fan Edith’s first 
spark of friendship into a brighter flame, Joe Smart was 
burning with love for Polly Grey. He had used every 
argument that the warmest passion could suggest to per- 
suade her to overcome her scruples and to become his wife. 
Polly had always regarded Smart with great affection ; but 
although their intimacy was upon a footing that rendered 
the slightest hesitation dangerous, she still resisted his pro- 
posals. “ Not until some eye-witness swears that he saw 
Paul’s body buried, will I listen even to you, Joe Smart, 
who were Paul’s best friend,” such was Polly’s final deter- 
mination. 

Joe Smart was in a difficulty ; how would it be possible 
to procure the desired witness ? It at length struck him 
that the only chance of obtaining information would be 
through Leontine, assisted by one of the lugger’s crew, who 
might have obtained the name of the French privateer upon 
which Paul and Dick Stone had been killed. For this pur- 
pose Joe Smart set off for Falmouth, in order to discover 
from the authorities of that town all the particulars of the 
exchange of prisoners that had been effected when Leontine 
returned to France with her brother Victor : this informa- 
tion might be a guide to Leontine’s address, and she might 
probably discover some members of the privateer’s crew 
who could swear to the fact of Paul’s death. 

It was the eve of Christmas-day when Joe Smart started 
upon this important mission ; the snow was falling heavily, 
and was drifting in the wind that howled across the hill- 
tops, and scattered the few withered leaves that at this 
late season still clung tenaciously to the oaks. It was bit- 
terly cold, and Joe Smart’s fingers were so numbed that 
he could scarcely feel the bridle through his thick woolen 
gloves ; buttoned tight to the chin, he had raised the high 
collar of his great-coat 3 around which he tied a large red 


328 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


woolen comforter that Polly had given him at the last mo< 
ment of starting. This was the same comforter that she 
had knitted years ago as a present for Paul when he should 
return. Thus secured from the weather, with a sou’-wester 
oil-skin cap drawn tightly over his head and ears, and tied 
beneath his chin, Joe Smart trotted along upon a powerful 
sob and took the road for Falmouth. The wind was direct- 
ly in his face ; and as the snow froze as it fell, the mane of 
his horse was covered, and the eyes of the animal, like those 
of the rider, were so pained by the drift that it bent its 
head upon one side to avoid the cutting wind. The earth 
was white with snow, and as Joe Smart rode along, he 
closed his eyes to avoid the needle-like sharpness of the 
sleet, trusting to the sure-footedness of his careful horse. 
It was about 3 p.m. when he passed along the road above 
Sandy Cove ; and as he glanced below, he recalled to mind 
the old times when Paul’s clipper lugger lay anchored in 
the bay, and Polly had always welcomed him at the pretty 
cottage on the cliff, which now was his. 

“ Poor Paul !” exclaimed Joe Smart to himself, “ he 
was as gallant and fine a sailor as ever lived ! God rest 
his soul, and bring happiness to his dear wife !” 

Occupied with these thoughts, he trotted steadily along, 
meeting no object upon the road except a man well wrap- 
ped up like himself, who bent his head before the blast as 
his horse cantered quickly by like a phantom, leaving no 
sound of hoofs in the snow that was already many inches 
deep. 

As Joe Smart is trotting onward on the road to Fal- 
mouth, we will follow the stranger whose horse was hurry- 
ing in the opposite direction. 

There was no road visible, and the recent tracks of 
Smart’s horse were rapidly disappearing beneath the fast 
falling snow, but without an instant’s hesitation the stran- 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


329 


ger spurred his powerful black horse over the white sur- 
face, regardless of hidden holes or drifts ; he was so muf- 
fled up that hardly his eyes were visible; and thus he 
galloped on until he arrived at the steep footpath that led 
down the cliff to Sandy Cove. Springing from his horse, 
he drew the reins over its head and led it carefully down 
the zigzag path. Upon reaching the bottom, he knocked 
at the door of a hut formed of a well-tarred inverted boat, 
in which windows had been fitted. 

“Who’s there ?” cried a shrill woman’s voice from with- 
in. 

“ Open the door, my good woman, for I’m very cold,” 
said the stranger, “ and I won’t delay you for two minutes.” 

The door immediately opened, and securing the reins to 
a hook upon which crab-nets were suspended, he left the 
horse outside and entered the hut, closing the door behind 
him to keep out the cold wind. The occupant of the hut 
was a woman of about forty-five, with several children, the 
youngest of whom was a boy about six years old. 

“ Does a man named Paul Grey live here ?” asked the 
stranger. 

“ Paul Grey live here ?” replied the woman. “No, I 
wish he did ; he’s dead long ago, poor fellow, on the day 
that my good man fell fighting by his side, and they’re both 
now in heaven. This child,” continued the woman, as she 
took the youngest by the hand, “ was then at my breast 
when the news came home that his brave father was shot 
through. The Polly brought some wounded men to Fal- 
mouth, but my poor man lies in the sea ; God only knows 
the spot.” 

“ Poor fello\f ! he was a brave sailor,” said the stranger ; 
“ but what of Paul Grey’s wife ; is she too dead ?” he asked 
in a hollow and uncertain voice. 

“ No, she’s alive and well, poor soul, but always sorrow 

# 


330 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


ing,” replied the woman. “ She often comes over here and 
sees us all, and talks of Paul as though he were still alive ; 
and she goes up to the cottage on the cliff, and looks upon 
the sea as though she thought the Polly would return again 
as in old times.” 

“ Is the old boat gone, too ?” asked the stranger. 

“ Lord bless you ! the boat, the Polly , do you mean ? 
Why, she never came back to the Cove after the fight ; she 
was almost knocked to pieces, and was sold at Falmouth to 
pay Paul’s debts ; there’s nothing left except the cottage on 
the cliff, and that was bought by the one-armed captain 
when all the things were sold.” 

“ Where is Paul’s wife ?” inquired the stranger. 

“ She lives at the rectory with Mrs. Jones and Miss 
Edith, who were very good to her ; they come here some- 
times now, and never forget the poor, God bless them ! I 
don’t know what my poor children would have done this 
cold Christmas had it not been for all their goodness. And 
the one-armed captain, too, is a good man, and helps us oft- 
en; he’ll make Mrs. Grey a good husband if she’ll have 
him, but they say she won’t listen to him till she sees where 
Paul’s buried. Poor soul, she’s a good wife, and true as 
steel.” 

“And is it supposed that she will then marry the one- 
armed captain ?” asked the stranger. 

“Well, it’s most likely to come off, I think,” replied the 
woman. “You see, Captain Smart was a good friend of 
Paul’s, and he did every thing for Mrs. Grey when she was 
mourning for him ; he paid all the debts, and never let her 
want ; and she must have a harder heart than flint if she 
doesn’t love the man.” 

“And the lad, Ned Grey?” said the stranger; “where 
is he ?” 

“ Ned Grey ?” replied the woman, “ Why, there’s a 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


331 


long story about Ned Grey ; he was missing ever since the 
night of Parson Jones’s murder, together with the nigger 
Tim, and was never heard of since. Some say as how he 
did the murder, but that I know is a lie : but for all that 
they issued a warrant to apprehend all three — Paul, and 
Ned Grey, and Tim — because tfhe old woman, Mother Lee, 
witnessed against them.” 

“ Parson Jones murdered !” exclaimed the stranger. 
“ Ned Grey and Tim missing, and never heard of ! Mother 
Lee witnessed against them ! Good heavens, what shall I 
hear next? Where is Mother Lee?” he asked. 

“ Why, you know something and yet know nothing of 
these parts,” replied the woman. “ Mother Lee hated Paul, 
and she tried to wreck the Polly by lighting false beacons 
on the cliff in a sou’-west gale ; her clothes were covered 
with tar, and she caught fire and blazed for half an hour 
till she was burned to a cinder : it was the devil’s work for 
his own that night.” 

“ Have the murderers of Parson Jones been discovered ?” 
asked the stranger. 

“ Nothing has ever been heard of them,” replied the 
woman ; “ but as two hundred guineas were stolen, and the 
same amount was found in a bag concealed in a cave in 
Paul’s house, together with a lot of jewels and smuggled 
goods, suspicion fell upon his family, and a verdict of will- 
ful murder was brought against Paul, Ned Grey, and Tim, 
for whom a warrant was given.” 

The stranger made no reply, but, giving the woman a 
shilling, he left the hut, and once more encountered the fierce 
blast. Leading his shivering horse to the summit of the 
cliff, he remounted and galloped hard in the direction of 
the village. 

After the first two miles were accomplished the dusky 
twilight gave way to darkness, and he was obliged to slack 


332 


CA.ST UP BY THE SEA, 


en his speed to a walk : it was about five o’clock when he 
first saw the lights twinkling in the windows of the village. 
Riding through the quiet and desolate street of snow, he 
halted at the door of the White Hart Inn and put up his 
tired horse. Leaving a small valise that was strapped 
upon the saddle in charge of the boy that took his horse, 
he left word that he should require a room, and without 
changing his clothes or in any way altering his muffled ap- 
pearance, he at once disappeared in the darkness of the 
street. 

In a few minutes he entered the garden gate of the rec- 
tory, and stealthily approached the house by the lawn ; he 
observed a bright light at a window on the ground-floor, 
and he was soon sufficiently near to distinguish the persons 
within. A large fire flamed up the chimney of the drawing- 
room, in which were several ladies. Having drawn near to 
the window, the suspicious-looking stranger peered through 
the glass. Mrs. Jones and Edith were unconsciously sip- 
ping their tea, while Polly Grey was seated by the fire in 
an arm-chair reading. Presently Edith rose from her seat, 
and, drawing her chair near, she placed her arm round Pol- 
ly’s neck and kissed her cheek. 

The stranger left the window, and retiring as quietly as 
he had arrived, he passed round the house to the back door 
and rang the bell. 

A woman-servant answered the summons, and for the 
first moment she screamed and slammed the door at seeing 
the tall, muffled figure that looked black and huge upon the 
white snow. 

“ Open the door, my good girl,” cried the stranger, " and 
don’t be afraid. I have a message of much importance to 
deliver to Mrs. Grey.” 

Once more the timid girl opened the door, and the 
stranger entered the house. 


VAST UP BY THE SEA . 


333 


** Say to Mrs. Grey immediately,” said the stranger, “ that 
a sailor who fought with Paul Grey when he fell wishes to 
speak with her ; but show me into a room, where I can see 
her alone.” 

The girl led him into the library, and leaving the candle 
she left him in the gloomy chamber while she delivered the 
message. 

A chill of surprise thrilled through Polly Grey. “ How 
strange,” she said, “ that Captain Smart should only have 
started to-day, and that already some person brings intelli- 
gence of the event ! They must have met upon the road ! 
What kind of person is this who has brought the message ?” 
asked Polly. 

“ He’s a horrid-looking man, mum, if you please,” said 
the timid maid ; “ you can’t see any thing of him except a 
tremendous great-coat and a slouched cap, and a big com- 
forter, and a shawl tied round his throat that hides his face 
altogether, and he looks as cold as shivers,” continued the 
girl, “ for the snow’s sticking all about him.” 

“ Is there a fire in the library ?” asked Polly. 

“ Yes, mum, there’s a blazing fire.” 

“ Then tell him that I will see him immediately.” 

The girl left the room, and having said a few words to 
Edith and Mrs. Jones (who felt rather nervous at the idea 
of a strange person having been thus admitted into the 
house after dark), Polly shortly followed her. 

As Polly Grey entered the library, lighted only by one 
candle that the maid had left, she at first hardly distinguish- 
ed the dark and muffled form of the stranger, who was stand- 
ing by a book-shelf. Startled for the moment as he came 
forward, she said, “ I believe you are the person who wishes 
to speak with Mrs. Grey? I am the widow of Paul Grey.” 

The tall figure of the stranger for an instant appeared to 
reel forward, but almost immediately recovering himself, he 


334 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


said, in a deep and trembling voice, “ Widow of Paul Grey, 
I was with him in the fight when he fell.” 

Polly pressed her hand for some moments against her 
forehead in silence. “ I know he fell,” she said, “ and that 
bravely ; but I have always hoped against all hope that he 
was not killed, but perhaps gravely wounded, and that I 
might again see him in this world. Did you see him die ? 
Oh tell me, I beseech you, all ! Hide nothing from me ; 
for now that I know he is really dead, I can bear to hear 
all concerning him.” 

“ I came here to tell you all I know,” replied the stran- 
ger. “ I am a sailor who fought and bled in that hard fight 
when Paul and Dick Stone were both struck down. Poor 
Dick lies in the sea, and Paul — but I will not harrow your 
feelings, Mrs. Grey. I had heard that you were about to 
marry again, and that Captain Smart was to fill Paul’s va- 
cant place. I am an old friend of Joe Smart’s, and I could 
wish him no better fortune than to win Paul’s wife.” 

“Alas !” said Polly, “ that such reports have stirred 
abroad. Captain Smart was Paul’s best friend, and he has 
well befriended me, but never was woman truer to her hus- 
band’s memory than I have been ; it has been a life of sor- 
row to me for many a long year, and I have prayed to God 
for death as my greatest comfort, that I might see dear 
Paul again in heaven. I never can marry. I could not take 
another vow : my heart would break ; but still, there could 
not be a better or more honest man than Captain Smart.” 

As Polly spoke these words, the tall, muffled figure drew 
nearer to her and said, in a hoarse whisper, “ Mrs. Grey, did 
you ever dream of Paul ? Did you ever pray for him when 
away ?” 

“ Dream of him ?” said Polly ; “ I have passed such nights 
of happiness with Paul in my arms, only to wake and find 
myself alone, and the world a wilderness without him ; and 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


335 


1 have prayed till my heart has nearly broken that God 
should restore him to me. I have lived in hope till now; 
and you, evil messenger, have broken the last reed on which 
I leaned, now I know that Paul is gone forever. O God ! 
why did I pray ? Let me die rather than live this life of 
anguish !” said Polly bitterly, in her despair. 

For some minutes Polly leaned upon the mantel-piece 
and buried her face in her hands ; the tall stranger also ap- 
peared to be affected. “And if,” said he, “ Paul Grey were 
to return to life, what would become of Captain Smart ? 
Does he not love you, Mrs. Grey ?” 

“ Question me no more. You have delivered your fatal 
message ; I thank you for the sad news. You must be 
tired and hungry ; I will order supper.” 

“ The moment is too serious for thoughts of hunger. I 
have yet more news to tell, but I must have your thorough 
confidence,” replied the stranger ; “ tell me plainly and upon 
your oath, does not Smart love you, and do you not return 
his love?” 

“ He does,” said Polly ; “ and for him I have the affection 
of a sister. Since Paul’s death he has been more than a 
brother to me, and he now asks for his reward, that I should 
consent to become his wife.” 

“ What is your reply ?” asked the stranger. “ I must 
know all before I proceed with my story, for the end has 
not been told.” 

Polly hesitated. “ Why should I be ashamed to declare 
my feelings ? I can not love again as I loved Paul, and yet 
I owe Captain Smart so much that, although I have always 
refused his offer, I feel that if Paul’s, spirit could know all 
he has done for me and for his interests, he would himself 
counsel me to accept his hand. I have told him,” continued 
.roily, “ that I can hear no more until he can discover an 
eye-witness who saw my dear Paul’s body buried. He has 


336 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


left this house to-day for Falmouth, and if you came from 
that direction you must have met him on the road. I fear 
you are the witness that would have rendered his journey 
unnecessary ; would that I were dead !” 

“ Mrs. Grey,” said the stranger solemnly, and in a voice 
broken by his excited feelings, “ prepare yourself for the 
remainder of my tale. Can you bear more ?” 

“ I can bear any thing,” said Polly ; “ my distress has 
been so great that nothing can impress me now that Paul 
is dead ; my feelings have grown callous.” 

“ Then hear the end, and fortify yourself for what will 
be as severe a shock as you ever had to bear. Are you pre- 
pared ? Is your courage screwed to its highest pitch ! Can 
you support the trial ?” 

“ I can bear any thing,” she repeated ; “ only tell me 
quickly ! What can be worse than all I know ?” 

The stranger sat down upon a chair, and apparently 
overcome by emotion for some moments, he leaned his 
elbows upon the table and buried his face in his hands. As 
though feeling oppressed, he unbuttoned his great-coat and 
loosened the numerous wraps around his throat ; then stand- 
ing up, he approached Polly, who calmly awaited his mys- 
terious announcement. 

In a deep, hollow voice, he said, “ This is the end of my 
mission. . . . Paul Grey is still alive !” 

“Alive ! alive ! alive ! Oh, for God’s sake don’t deceive 
me ! My Paul not dead ! Where, where is he ?” exclaimed 
the almost frantic wife. 

“ Here, in your arms, my own sweet wife ! God has 
heard your prayers ! . I am Paul Grey !” 

In an instant he had thrown off his overcoat and shawl 
which concealed his features, and once more Paul pressed his 
devoted Polly to his heart, while she clung around his neck 
in a paroxysm of joy that almost approached to madness. 


CHAPTER. XIX. 

\\T HEX the first violent shock of delight was past Paiii 
* * explained in a few words the history of his captivi- 
ty and escape. After the fight with the French privateer 
he had lain apparently dead upon the deck ; but as the wa- 
ter which washed the scuppers in which he lay flowed over 
him when the vessel rolled, he recovered sufficiently to 
show some signs of life, which saved him from being thrown 
overboard. Upon arrival at Dunkerque he was sent to the 
ftospital, and, when sufficiently recovered, he was committed 
to a French prison. There he lay for years, until one day 
he was informed that he had permission to see a friend who 
had called at the prison-door. He reached the barred gate, 
and looking through the small iron grating, he saw to his as- 
tonishment and delight his old and true friend Leontine. 
Upon her arrival with her brother Victor in her native 
town, she had been arrested and confined in jail for a cer- 
tain period for having aided in the escape of the prisoners ; 
but upon the whole affair becoming known, it caused a 
great sensation, and she shortly received a pardon. 

The unfortunate Francis, her old lover, who had been 
on guard when the prisoners escaped, and who had borrow- 
ed a comrade’s uniform and arms to aid in her disguise for 
the nocturnal meeting, had been severely punished; and 
Leontine, having recovered from the loss of Dick Stone, 
had rewarded the hardly-treated Francis with her hand. 
They were married, and Francis soon forgot his hardships 
in the delight of his gallant prize. 


338 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA. 


Some years afterward Franyois, who had risen to the 
rank of lieutenant, happened to meet at a cafe a French 
sailor who was describing to a comrade an action in which 
he had been engaged with an English vessel. Listening at- 
tentively to his story, he heard him relate the daring man- 
ner in which the English had boarded the French privateer, 
together with the escape of the disabled lugger, owing to 
the arrival of a British cruiser. Francis naturally con- 
cluded that this was a description of the action with the 
Polly , and joining in the conversation, he gave an account 
of the maimer in which Paul had escaped from prison and 
recaptured the lugger, when Leontine had played him the 
trick long since forgiven. He then heard that Paul had re- 
covered from his wounds and was confined in prison. From 
that moment Leontine was determined to obtain Paul’s re- 
lease, but she could not discover the place in which he was 
imprisoned. At length she found that he was in Dunkerque 
jaii. Thither the faithful Leontine at once set off and found 
him as described. She at once went to the governor of the 
jail and related the circumstance of her brother’s release 
and the kindness she had received in Falmouth, and she be- 
sought him to forward her petition for Paul’s release to the 
proper authorities. Struck with Leontine’s romantic tale, 
and with her extraordinary beauty and energy of character, 
the governor exerted himself in Paul’s behalf, to whom he 
had taken a special liking from the moment that he had en- 
tered the prison, as he had heard of his daring behavior in 
boarding the privateer. After much delay Paul was in- 
cluded in a list for an exchange of prisoners, and was sent 
to England. Landing at Falmouth, he had hastened toward 
his old home. 

In a few days the news of Paul’s return was spread 
throughout the neighborhood. Edith shared in Polly 
Grey’s happiness. Often had Polly mourned on Christmas* 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


339 


day, when others seemed so happy, and she was miserable, 
but now she had spent that day together with her long-lost 
husband. They had knelt together in the church, and pour- 
ed out their hearts to God in humble thanksgiving for a 
joy that few in this world can know. But joy was not for 
ail. Slowly and mournfully a powerful brown cob, tired 
with its journey in the deep snow, carried its rider along 
the road from Falmouth to the rectory. Although the wind 
was cold and piercing, his great-coat was unbuttoned, his 
throat was unprotected, and the empty sleeve of the left 
arm dangled neglected at his side. Joe Smart had heard 
the news, and was on his return; he was on the way to 
welcome his old friend Paul, and to take a farewell for- 
ever of Paul’s wife. He could not trust himself again to 
be her friend; he knew that his happiness in this world 
was gone. 

Thus broken down in spirit, Joe Smart travelled slowly 
on. He did not feel the cold, for the hard frost was noth- 
ing to the chill that was in his heart. He loved Paul, and 
he had thoroughly believed him dead; thus he had never 
curbed his passion for Polly Grey, and his whole soul had 
become devoted to that one object of his affection. Paul’s 
return was an avalanche of misery to him that had crushed 
every hope. At the same time his love for Polly was so 
thoroughly devoted and sincere that, even in his misery, he 
rejoiced at the intensity of happiness that she must feel at 
her husband’s resurrection from the dead. He dared not 
think of the future : to him the world must be a blank. 
Thus he rode slowly on. 

It was late in the evening when Joe Smart reached the 
rectory and warmly pressed his old friend’s hand. He 
would not trust himself to see Paul’s wife, but he wrote 
her a letter of farewell, full of touching expressions of af 
fection, concealing as much as possible his own distress, and 


34:0 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


dwelling more upon her future happiness. He explained 
that he had not the courage to meet her to say “ good-by,” 
and he concluded by begging her to accept from him, as a 
souvenir of many happy days, a present of the cottage on 
the cliff at Sandy Cove that he had purchased at the sale of 
Paul’s effects ; in which he trusted once more to see her and 
Paul together at some future day when time should have 
lessened the agony of his disappointment. 

It grieved Paul’s heart to see his friend’s distress. 
“ Cheer up, Joe, my dear friend, and more than brother,” 
he said, as he almost crushed his hand in his affectionate 
but iron grasp. “ It might have been better had I died, 
but I trust to live to repay you, if ever possible, for all the 
kind acts and generosity you have shown to Polly. You 
have been sorely punished, my dear Joe, by my return ; but 
believe me how I grieve to see you feel so keenly. You 
must come and see us often in the old place, and Polly will 
welcome you with all her heart, as I will ; and we will for- 
get that I was lost, and we shall live as we did before ; the 
door always open to you ae our truest friend.” 

Joe Smart choked in his attempt to reply to Paul’s feel- 
ing words ; but biting his bps until the blood flow T ed to 
suppress the emotion which this kind sympathy had awa- 
kened, he could only return the pressure of Paul’s hand, 
and hurriedly left the house. As he rushed from the front 
door in the dark he came in sudden contact with some per- 
son who fell with the shock, and almost immediately after- 
ward, although he had apologized, he felt a smart blow r with 
a heavy whip across the face. Stung with the pain and 
with the unmerited insult, Smart instinctively struck his ad- 
versary a severe blow on the eye with hig only fist, but 
quickly found himself closed with in return. This had hap- 
pened in a few seconds, and as Paul had followed Smart 
with the intention of insisting unon his return, be opened 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


341 


the door and found him engaged in a struggle with Jem 
Stevens. 

“ Holloa, what’s the row ?” exclaimed Paul, as he collared 
Stevens in his powerful grasp and separated the combat- 
ants. “ What ! fight with a one-armed man, you coward ?” 
saying which, he gave Stevens a push which sent him stag- 
gering some paces distant. . 

Stevens was half blind with passion when he found that 
his adversary was Joe Smart, of whose position at the rec- 
tory he had been for a long time jealous, as he imagined 
that he counselled Edith against his proposals. Turning 
quickly upon his heel, he exclaimed, “ You shall hear more 
of this !” and retreating to the stable, he remounted his 
horse, muttering, “ Coward he called me ; that ruffian, Paul 
Grey !” 

On the following morning, as Paul was sitting at the 
breakfast-table with Polly, Mrs. Jones, and Edith, a ring 
was heard at the front bell In about five minutes the door 
opened, and several constables entered the room, one of 
whom exhibited a paper, and, laying his hand upon Paul’s 
shoulder, he said, “ I apprehend you, Paul Grey, upon a 
charge of willful murder.” This was the original warrant 
for his apprehension that had been issued many years ago 
when Parson Jones was murdered. 

It was useless to resist : however false the charge, there 
could be no doubt that the warrant was strictly legal ; and 
Paul, rising from his seat, took leave of Polly, saying, “ I 
shall not be long in settling this farce.” He accompanied 
the constables, who led him before a magistrate. That wor- 
thy functionary was James Stevens, Esq., of Heron Hall. 
******** * 

We must now change the scene and return to Africa at 
a period of about twelve months before Paul’s return. 

It was the rainy season in the country where we left Ned 


342 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


and Tim, but no rain had fallen. Not a drop of dew moist- 
ened the ground ; but, parched and withered, the whole land 
was a bright yellow glare of sunburnt grass. In a large 
circular hut sat a tall, handsome young man of about twenty 
years; by his side was a clean-skinned, powerful young 
negro of about the same age: these were Ned and Tim. 
They were dressed in clothes of beautifully prepared skins 
divested of the hair, resembling chamois leather. These 
they had themselves manufactured by tanning with the fruit 
of a mimosa, as their stock of European clothes had long 
since disappeared. The king had been dead for some time, 
as he had been murdered by his subjects, and Ned had been, 
much against his will, elected chief. This was a dangerous 
position, as few of their governors had died a natural death ; 
but they had generally been sacrificed to some popular su- 
perstition. Ned was at the present time in a state of great 
perplexity, as the people were vainly crying for rain. 

Daily the sky clouded over, but when all hopes were 
high, the clouds would gradually disappear without yield- 
ing a drop, and the sorcerers had declared to the people 
that Ned withheld the rain by magic. Added to this un- 
lucky drought, a murrain had broken out among the cattle, 
which had probably originated from the absence of green 
fodder ; the cows died in great numbers, milk was hardly 
to be obtained, and the people dreaded a famine, as they 
would be unable to sow their crops in the burning soil. 
They flocked to their sorcerers, who, having always been 
jealous of Ned’s supremacy, now boldly declared that it 
was he who inflicted this curse upon the land. 

Thousands of natives congregated from all parts of the 
country, and they determined to wait upon Ned in a vast 
assemblage to petition him for rain. 

It was early morning when a hum of distant voices, to- 
gether with the beating of drums and blowing of horns, ap- 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


343 


proached the town. Quickly the drums of many head-men 
responded to the call, and an immense body of people as- 
sembled beneath a grove of large fig-trees or sycamores 
upon a clear spot outside the palisades, as there was no 
open space within the town sufficiently large to contain 
them. In a short time the sorcerers waited upon Ned, and 
requested him to appear before the people. 

It was not without some misgiving that Ned, accompa- 
nied by Tim and old Nero, responded to the call. The dog 
was no longer the bounding and playful animal of former 
days ; his muzzle had grown gray, and his expression had 
become solemn ; while his eyes, deeply sunk within his head, 
showed the effects of age. A loud shout from the multi- 
tude welcomed Ned’s appearance, and he took his seat be- 
neath a sycamore, with Tim by his side.’ There was no 
shade, as the long-continued dry weather had withered the 
leaves, few of which remained upon the trees. 

As Ned sat down, the air rang with the shouts of many 
thousand voices : 

“ Rain ! rain ! great chief. Give us rain, or we all per- 
ish !” 

These cries continued with increasing vehemence, until 
the excitement became so great that many brandished their 
lances in menacing attitudes, as though to imply that they 
would have recourse to violence should their demands not 
be complied with. Ned had now mastered the language so 
as to speak fluently ; and as the tumult increased, he was 
about to address them, when Tim interrupted him with ad- 
vice. 

“Massa Ned, dese niggers not like us. Dey all same 
like a mad bull ; just give ’em an idea, dey knock dere 
heads against it. Now dey got de idea ‘ no rain come cos 
of Massa Ned;’ now dey run dere heads slick at Massa 
Ned, and kill us sartain ! ’ 


344 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


“ You are right, Tim,” said Ned, “ they are merely brutes 
in impulse, and I fear we shall be the victims of theii ig- 
norant passions. I see no hope except in delay. We must 
endeavor to keep them patient for a few days, and take the 
chance of rain.” 

“ De rain not come, Massa Ned. I know de custom 
of de sky in dis bad country ; four or five years p’raps de 
rain come, den one year come dry as tinder ; not a drop 
of water. Den de niggers kill de king and all de rain- 
makers. Dis year no rain come, and we be killed if not 
run away. Tim don’t care for self ; but bad job for Massa 
Ned.” 

“ Escape is impossible,” said Ned. “How often would 
we have escaped from this hateful land if it had been prac- 
ticable. Our only chance would be Zanzibar ; that is at 
least five hundred miles from here. How could we accom- 
plish such a journey without means of any kind to pass 
through the various tribes, all of which are hostile to each 
other?” 

“ I know all dat, Massa Ned,” replied Tim. “ P’raps we 
get killed on de road, but dat’s only p'raps; if we stop here 
dere’s no p'raps , only killed for sartain. If we not look 
sharp,” continued Tim, “ we be killed to-day ! Look at de 
niggers now, see how dey cuss, and hark what dey say — 
‘ Kill de white man and de black dog !’ Now dey tink de 
poor Nero stop de rain, stoopid niggers !” 

At this time the excitement had reached so high a pitch 
that, as Tim had described, the crowd were shouting for 
the death of Ned and the dog, as strange creatures that 
must have brought the calamity upon the country. 

“ I know de trick, Massa Ned !” exclaimed Tim sudden- 
ly, when the tumult was at its height, and one man had in 
his excitement thrown a lance at Ned, which he narrowly 
escaped. “ Massa Ned holler out, c Stop de row ! ae rain’s 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


345 


a-coming !’ Holler quick ! or we be killed sartin !” con- 
tinued Tim, as another lance whizzed past his ear. 

On the impulse of the moment Ned rose from the 
ground, and, throwing his arms high above his head, he 
shouted in a loud voice that the people should be silent. 
The tumult quickly subsided, as Ned’s tall and command- 
ing figure produced a sudden effect, and they expected that 
he would speak. 

“ Now, Massa Ned,” said Tim quickly, “ tell ’em you call 
de rain in six days, but you want to go to fetch it. Tell ’em 
you know de place where de rain’s shut up. De niggers, 
stoopid fools, believe all dis. Den we get six days’ start, 
and cut and run. Dat’s de trick ’xactly !” 

Ned qualified Tim’s sagacious idea, and having obtained 
perfect silence, he addressed the multitude in a forcible 
speech, blaming them for certain crimes that . they had 
committed, and declaring that the drought was thoroughly 
merited for the murder of their late king. He continued 
by threatening them with the vengeance of the Great Spirit 
should they persist in their determination to sacrifice him 
and the dog, and reminded them that, although the drought 
and the murrain had visited them, the locusts and the 
small-pox had not yet arrived — two plagues infinitely worse 
than the former — that would punish their offenses. Ned 
concluded by demanding six days of seclusion, during 
which he was to be left entirely alone with Tim and his 
dog, in a grove of palm-trees about three miles from the 
town on the borders of the lake, as he wished to observe 
the sun. Should no rain fall before the sixth day, he offered 
to become a sacrifice for the good of the people. 

Wild shouts and immense confusion followed this speech. 
Some of the people would have agreed to the proposal, while 
others declared that he should be put to death at once. 
The tumult rose to such a pitch that the riot became general, 


346 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


and the parties were proceeding to blows, which would cer- 
tainly have ended in the slaughter of Ned had not Tim 
promptly struck several loud blows upon the great drum, 
which important signal restored tranquillity. Tim did not 
lose the opportunity, but at once addressed the people, and, 
being thoroughly conversant with their ways, he made a pro- 
posal that met with general approbation and satisfied all 
parties. As he explained this suggestion to Ned : “ I tell 
dese black stoopid niggers, Massa Ned, dis much. Says I, 
‘You all right on de one side, my good fellers, and you all 
right on de oder side too. Now, if every body all right, no- 
body all wrong ; dat’s a fact ’xactly ! Now one side say, 
“ Kill him to-day ” — quite right ; but de oder side say, 
“ Wait six days ” — quite right. Now I say, “ Make it half 
of de one and half of de oder — dat’s de proper way, den 
every body’s right. Wait tree days ’stead of six ; dat’s de 
trick ! den nobody’s wrong and every body’s right !’ ” 
Dat’s de way to talk to de niggers, Massa Ned. Now dey 
understand ; now dey quite pleased. If get de rain in tree 
days, very good fun ; if not, dey kill us all, dat very good 
fun too for de niggers ; but we’ll cut and run, and get de 
start for tree days ; dat’s de trick ’xactly.” 

Tim’s speech had completely satisfied the savages. The 
shouts lately so angry quickly turned to those of merri- 
ment, as th.ey all looked forward to rain within three days. 
Ned lost no time in preparation, and determined to start at 
once. 

To avoid suspicion, it was arranged that the natives 
should carry a certain amount of provisions to the grove of 
palm-trees by the lake ; shelter was not required, as there 
was neither dew nor rain. It would be impossible to carry 
much, as Ned determined to make forced marches ; there- 
fore the two old knapsacks were quickly arranged with 
longer straps that would fit the broad shoulders of the two 


CAST VI BY THE SEA. 


341 


powerful young men, and these were packed witli strips ol 
dried meat, with a quantity of native bread that, dried in 
the sun, would serve in the place of biscuit during a long 
journey. The sextant, compass, etc., and ammunition, com- 
pleted the outfit ; but of the original stock of the latter no 
more than sixty rounds of ball cartridge remained, and the 
shot had been expended years ago. The cartridges were 
divided between them ; and with their two double-barrelled 
guns with new flints, and a sharp cutlass each, they accom- 
panied the natives to the palm-trees, where they were to be 
left in perfect seclusion for the stipulated three days. 

The natives quickly left them, and as the moon would be 
nearly full, Ned determined to start shortly after sunset. 

At that hour, when the natives were engaged in penning 
their cattle, which they had driven within the kraals, Ned 
and Tim departed, followed by old Nero. They knew the 
country for the first twenty miles : thus they accomplished 
that distance in about five hours ; and then continued to 
march throughout the night over vast plains of withered 
grass interspersed with large trees. 

By sunrise on the following morning they had marched 
about forty miles, and had gained a fair start of the natives 
in case they should be pursued. During the entire distance 
they had found no water, but happily shortly after day- 
break they arrived at a ravine, which, although a formida- 
ble torrent during the rainy season, was now reduced to a 
dry rocky bed, with small pools of clear water at intervals. 
Having bathed in a pool, they slept beneath an overhanging 
rock which gave a delightful shade, which was the more 
grateful as the trees were all devoid of leaves, owing to the 
intense drought. They woke at about 2 Pm., and imme- 
diately buckled on their knapsacks and refilled their goat- 
skins with clear water for the march. 

Ned’s greatest anxiety lay in the want of water, Tb« 


348 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


country was entirely unknown to him, and he knew that 
ferocious tribes of negroes existed between them and Zan- 
zibar, but these he did not fear so much as a frightful death 
by thirst. The entire country was burned up, the under- 
wood in the jungles was dead, the trees leafless, and the 
plains were a bright yellow ; the ground was cracked in all 
directions into broad and deep fissures, and the ravines that 
generally held water were completely dry. Trusting in 
Providence, but finally sensible of the extreme danger of 
the journey, which was simply o, last resource to escape 
certain death, Ned led the way. 

They had hardly started, when he perceived a large herd 
of buffaloes coming across the plain toward the ravine, 
and raising a cloud of dust from the parched ground as 
they galloped toward the drinking - place. As fresh meat 
for themselves and the dog was sorely needed, Ned deter- 
mined to obtain a shot if possible ; accordingly both he and 
Tim concealed themselves, and watched the herd of thirsty 
animals, who now rushed headlong to the water. Present- 
ly they arrived at the margin of the ravine, down which 
they hurried in a dense mass, and Ned distinctly heard the 
clattering of the loose rocks which fell as the numerous 
hoofs dislodged them. Creeping quietly toward the spot 
where the herd had disappeared in the ravine, Ned reached 
the precipitous bank, accompanied by Tim and Nero. Look- 
ing cautiously over the edge, he observed a herd of about a 
hundred buffaloes wallowing in the pool below. As he re- 
quired meat of a good description, he selected a cow instead 
of a bull, and aiming steadily at the shoulder of one that 
stood about fifty yards distant, he fired. For the moment 
she fell to the shot, and Nero, with his usual courage, dash- 
ed forward to the attack and seized her by the ear. Re- 
covering on the instant, the buffalo sprang upon her feet, 
and tossing her head with immense force, she swung the 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


349 


dog high in the air. Unfortunately poor old Nero had lost 
many of his teeth, and the ear slipped from his hold. Fall- 
ing from the height of several feet, the buffalo with great 
adroitness caught the dog upon her sharp - pointed horns 
and bored him upon the ground. The herd had in the 
mean time remained standing in astonishment, as they had 
never before heard the report of a gun, neither could they 
distinguish the cause ; but as they saw the wounded cow 
attacking the dog, they were seized with a sudden fury, 
and one and all, headed by an enormous bull, charged des- 
perately forward upon the unlucky Nero. There was a 
savage and tremendous tumult of hoofs and horns. The 
wounded cow that was streaming with blood from the 
shoulder became the object of attack as well as the dog ; 
she was bored to the ground by a phalanx of maddened an- 
imals, who now fought with each other in their rage, wdiile 
others tossed in the air and alternately trampled under their 
feet a black woolly mass that had entirely lost the shape of 
a dog. All this had happened so quickly that Ned had 
neither time nor power to render assistance. The rage of 
the buffaloes was such that he fully expected they would 
turn their attack upon him should he be discovered ; ac- 
cordingly he dared not fire until both he and Tim had 
climbed to the top of a large fragment of rock about seven 
feet above the level of the ground on the margin of the ra- 
vine. From this secure position he fired at the shoulder of 
a large bull in the midst of the melee , now within twenty 
paces of him. For an instant the struggle ceased, and the 
entire herd, leaving the cow dead upon the ground, charged 
recklessly toward the spot where the smoke of the gun 
hung heavily among the bushes. It was well that Ned and 
Tim had taken the precaution to secure a strong position ; 
the herd came thundering up the steep bank of the ravine, 
and as a wave is broken by a reef, so the dense body di 


350 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


vided on either side the rock upon which Ned stood, 
against which they were pressed by the weight of those be- 
hind. Although ammunition was scarce, Ned could not re- 
sist a downward shot in revenge at the neck of a huge bull, 
whose tough sides rubbed against the rock close to his feet 
as he rushed blindly past ; the ball passed through the 
spine, and he fell dead, the rest of the herd galloping over 
his body. Following their mad impulse, the herd dashed 
wildly on, they knew not whither, and shortly nothing could 
be distinguished but a dense cloud of dust upon the plain 
as they disappeared in the distance. 

Ned and Tim jumped from their stronghold and ran 
quickly down to the spot where the poor dog lay, crushed 
to a mummy by the infuriated herd. 

It was Edith’s dog, and Ned recalled the day when he 
left the rectory and saw her for the last time, and Nero 
came bounding after him. From that moment the dog had 
been the faithful companion of all his wanderings, and the 
partaker of every danger and hardship ; he had slept by his 
side at night, and watched over his safety ; and, next to 
Tim, Nero was his greatest friend. His soft curly coat 
was now a mass of matted gore, and nothing remained that 
bore the faintest resemblance to the fine old dog that a few 
minutes before was full of courage and vigor. 

Tim fairly blubbered like a child as he and Ned dug a 
hole in the sand with two stakes that they had sharpened 
with their cutlasses, and they buried their faithful compan- 
ion. As they covered the grave with large stones and 
thorn-bushes to prevent the body from being exhumed by 
hyenas, Ned lingered for a few minutes on the spot, and 
then sorrowfully buckled on his knapsack and slung his 
water-skin upon his shoulders. Taking up their guns, 
they silently commenced their dreary march : neither could 
speak. 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


351 


It was intensely hot, and not a cloud shaded the sky. 
They had cut a few steaks off the buffalo, and the air waa 
already swarming with vultures that had observed the car- 
casses from the immense altitudes where, themselves invis- 
ible from the earth, they soared throughout the day upon 
their untiring wings, and watched for prey beneath with 
telescopic sight. 

They had marched for about four hours over arid plains 
almost devoid of trees, when they arrived at a broad belt 
of forest ; passing through this, they entered upon a vast 
tract of high tangled grass that was nearly double the height 
of a man : this was perfectly impenetrable, and, after hav- 
ing vainly endeavored to discover a path, Ned came to the 
conclusion that they must alter their course, or trust to a 
broad track that had been made by the trampling of ele- 
phants. Tim suggested that the latter might possibly lead 
them to water. It was nearly dark ; and after wandering 
fruitlessly upon the tracks which turned in various direc- 
tions, there was no other course than to halt for the night. 
They now felt the loss of their good friend Nero, Avho had 
always been their faithful sentry ; and fearful of sleeping 
without a watch being kept, it was resolved that, although 
tired, they should take it in turns to keep guard through- 
out the night. They cleared a small space in the high 
grass, made a fire, upon which they threw for a few min- 
utes their strips of buffalo meat which served for their 
dinner, and Ned first went to sleep. The moon was bright, 
and had the country been clear, the night would have been 
the most favorable time for marching. Tim, being on guard, 
had taken his station on the top of a large white ant-hill 
about twelve feet high, at the foot of which Ned was 
asleep ; from this elevated position he had an extensive view 
of the bright yellow plain that glistened in the moonlight 
like burnished gold. Lions were roaring in the distance^ 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


652 

but Tim was so accustomed to this sound that it made Tit* 
tie impression upon him, and for about an hour he kept a 
vigilant watch. As Tim was a Christian, he never omitted 
to say his prayers, and it suddenly occurred to him that he 
had forgotten his evening devotions ; accordingly, as he sat 
on guard on the conical summit of the ant-hill, he repeated 
his accustomed prayer, and, being thoroughly fatigued, he 
fell asleep before he had actually concluded it. How long 
he slept he could not tell, but he suddenly woke, as what he 
imagined to be the bright sunlight was streaming in his 
eyes. A vivid glare shone upon the sky, and an intense 
line of light streamed along the surface of the earth. Re- 
covering from his sleep, Tim shouted “ Fire !” and at once 
scrambling down from his high post, he drew his sharp cut- 
lass and set to work like a madman to mow down the high 
grass by which they were surrounded. 

Ned woke in an instant, and, quickly made aware of the 
danger, he joined Tim in his work with a desperation in- 
cited by the extremity of the moment. The wind was 
blowing strong from the direction they wished to pursue on 
the following morning, and the prairie being on fire, an im- 
mense volume of flames that extended in a long line that 
appeared to have no limit was driving toward them at a 
prodigious rate. As Tim had been asleep for some hours, 
he had not observed the fire until it was within a mile of 
their position, and the bright light had awakened him. 

Keeping the ant-hill for a centre, they now worked des- 
perately, and cut down the grass in a circle until the mound 
stood in a clear space about seventy feet in diameter ; they 
now dragged the cut grass to the leeward side of the circle, 
and piled it against the wall of dried and inflammable ma- 
terial that was to be ignited to clear a space before them. 
Taking a brand from their fire that was still burning, Ned 
lighted the pile to leeward, and they both immediately re* 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


353 


treated to the windward side of their cleared circle. The 
grass was so intensely dry that it burned like flax, and the 
flames at once leaped upward to a height of about thirty 
feet with a loud rushing sound, accompanied by cracking 
reports resembling pistol-shots, as the reedy stems burst in 
the blazing fire. The heat was almost insupportable, and 
Ned was forced to retreat into the high grass to windward, 
while Tim sheltered himself behind the ant-hill, as the flames 
spread with wonderful velocity, and, swept by the strong 
breeze, they licked up the grass before them and rushed 
forward, leaving a dark and level surface behind them like 
a pall of black velvet, in which flared the withered stumps 
of numerous trees. 

In less than ten minutes several acres of ground were 
cleared by the fire to leeward ; and although the grass had 
ignited around the circle, so that Ned was forced to join 
Tim at the ant-hill, it burned slowly to windward, and did 
not produce the distressing heat to which he had at first 
been subjected. 

The warning had been short, and had Tim slept a little 
longer, nothing could have saved them from destruction. 
The ground left by the receding fire was scarcely cool 
enough to be endurable by the feet, when dense volumes of 
smoke rolled over them from the advancing fire, accompa 
nied by a terrific roar, as the flames, fanned by the wind, 
leaped forward as though rejoicing in their power to anni- 
hilate all before them. Ned and Tim were obliged to rush 
far forward upon the burned ground to avoid suffocation. 
The sight was grand in the extreme, as the whole earth ap- 
peared to be in a blaze of fire farther than the eye could 
reach. Presently it reached the cleared circle, and in an in- 
stant the flames ceased in that portion of the line, which, 
now broken, swept by on either side, and vanished as it met 
the limits already burned. They were safe ! And as Ned 


354 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


looked forward now in the rear of the advanced line of fire, 
the earth was cleared of every particle of vegetation, and 
was covered with a light black ash, as though with a light 
fold of crape. 

There was no longer any danger to fear from either man 
or beast, and the two tired and blackened figures, Ned and 
Tim, lay down and slept till morning. 

They rose before sunrise, and, as the ground was even 
and perfectly cleared from all obstacles, they marched rap- 
idly by compass, steering direct for the position of Zanzi- 
bar. Ned had his chart with him that he had preserved 
throughout his first journey from the coast, which he knew 
to be correct ; therefore there would be no difficulty in dis- 
covering the right position, provided that the nature of the 
country should permit a direct line of march. Aware of 
the great importance of speed, they pushed on at a rapid 
pace throughout the day, and only halted when they arrived 
at water in a beautifully wooded hollow at about four in 
the afternoon. Ned calculated that they had travelled thir- 
ty-five miles since the morning. 

They had now reached the origin of the prairie fire, which 
had evidently commenced on the high bank of the stream 
which they discovered in the wooded hollow beneath. In 
the wet season this was a considerable river, but the dry 
weather had reduced it to a trickling brook of beautifully 
clear water that rippled over the pebbly bed in a depth of 
only a few inches, except in certain bends where the torrent 
had hollowed out deep pools : these were some acres in ex- 
tent, and hardly had Ned descended to the river’s bed than 
his ears were delighted by the loud snort of hippopotami, 
and he noticed several of these animals with their heads above 
the water. He lost no time in endeavoring to procure a 
dinner. A large tamarind-tree grew in the steep bank above 
the deep pool ; hiding behind this, Ned sent Tim to the o}> 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA. 


355 


posite side of the pool to shout and to throw stones at the 
hippopotami, so as to drive them over to the spot where he 
was lying in ambush. This had the desired effect, and 
presently, after a succession of loud snorting and repeated 
diving, the hippopotami retreated from Tim’s side of the 
pool, and a large head suddenly appeared on the surface 
exactly beneath Ned and within five or six yards of the 
muzzle of his gun. He fired in the back of the head be- 
tween the ears, as the animal was looking away from him, 
its attention being engaged by Tim. It sank immediately, 
but Ned felt certain that it was killed ; he therefore de- 
termined to waste no more ammunition, but to wait un- 
til it should float, which would be in about an hour and a 
half. 

They now strolled up the bed of the stream to seek for 
a convenient spot for the night’s bivouac. 

They were passing across a broad sandy surface, when 
they suddenly arrived at a footpath well trodden by human 
feet ; this led to a well that had been dug in the sand to a 
depth of several feet, and there could be no doubt that it 
was the regular watering-place of some village in the imme- 
diate neighborhood. 

As the opposite bank was thickly covered with fine for- 
est-trees and dense jungle, Ned proposed that they should 
conceal themselves and watch for the women, who in those 
countries always fetch water in their jars at a little before 
sunset : it was now about five o’clock. 

They had hardly concealed themselves when a long string 
of women appeared from the forest. They were almost na- 
ked, and each carried a large earthenware jar upon her 
head ; some were accompanied by their little children, all 
of whom carried jars of various dimensions proportioned to 
their size. 

As they filled their jars at the well Tim stepped forward 

23 


356 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


and accosted them in his own language, while Ned remain- 
ed concealed lest his strange appearance should frighten 
them. At first they were startled at Tim’s sudden arrival 
among them, but as they spoke a dialect that somewhat re- 
sembled his language they quickly understood him, and aft- 
er some explanation Tim called to Ned that he should join 
him. Some of the women were young and exceedingly 
pretty, with remarkably well-shaped noses and fine eyes, al- 
though their hair was woolly. They showed some signs of 
surprise at seeing Ned, who had appeared to Tim’s sum- 
mons, but without the slightest fear they examined his 
white skin and light-brown hair, which Tim had pointed 
out for their admiration. Ned then spoke to them and ex- 
plained that they were lost, and had strayed there from a 
distant tribe that had threatened to kill them. He ended 
by asking to be received as a friend, and explained that he 
had just killed a hippopotamus in a pool a few hundred 
yards distant that would supply them with meat. At this 
announcement several of the women started with their jars 
for the village, which they declared was at no great dis- 
tance, and they requested the strangers to remain until they 
should return with some of their people. 

In about half an hour a large number of men, armed 
with lances, were seen to issue from the forest, accompa- 
nied by the female messengers. Upon arriving within fifty 
yards of Ned, they stuck their lances in the sand and ad- 
vanced unarmed toward him as a sign of friendship, ana 
upon a near approach they went through the customary sa- 
lute of raising both his hands above his head. When Tim 
had been subjected to a similar operation they all sat down, 
and Ned described their history from the time of the ship- 
wreck and their escape from the tribe, which he now discov- 
ered to be their deadly enemy. 

By the time that he and Tim had concluded their stories 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


357 


NTed expected that the hippopotamus must have floated; 
accordingly he led the men to the spot, and happily discov- 
ered that it had risen to the surface. The natives, having 
heard that it had been killed, were already provided with 
ropes and axes. Rushing into the water in a body with 
loud shouts to scare the crocodiles, they attached ropes to 
the legs and hauled it to the shore. It was a fine large male, 
and Tim’s proverb of “ Fill de nigger’s belly make de nig 
ger frens,” was quickly exemplified, as they cut up the mass- 
ive animal, and, heavily laden with fat and flesh, they con- 
ducted Ned and his companion to their village with great 
rejoicing. 

It was a small but pretty village, situated about a hun 
dred feet above the level of the river, in the rocky hollow 
of a mountain that rose to the height of several thousand 
feet. This had been a landmark by which Ned had steered 
for the last two days. The ascent to the village was ex- 
ceedingly precipitous, and it was entered by a narrow cleft 
in the rock like a small alley, the cliffs of which rose like 
walls on either side to the height of several hundred feet. 
Having ascended the rough blocks of granite that formed 
natural steps up to the cleft, a strong gate-way of hooked 
thorns that protected the narrow entrance was passed 
through, and the party entered the peculiar hollow in which 
the village was situated.. This was of considerable extent, 
comprising about three acres, in which were beautiful 
groves of bananas, shady sycamores, and neat gardens, sur- 
rounding about a hundred circular dwellings constructed of 
bamboos thatched with reeds. The village appeared like a 
huge bird’s-nest in the heart of the mountain, which rose 
abruptly on all sides, and completely encircled it with per- 
pendicular cliffs : these could only be scaled by a narrow 
and dangerous pathway that had been cut out of the rock, 
to enable the inhabitants to escape to the top of the mount 


358 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


ain in the event of an attack. Altogether it was an exceed 
ingly strong position, as there was no way of ascending this 
side of the mountain except by the narrow cleft already 
mentioned. 

Ned and Tim slept soundly in a clean hut that had been 
allotted to them. On the following morning the women 
brought them a quantity of fresh milk, contained in large 
gourd shells, and a wooden bowl or broad dish of excellent 
porridge, mixed with pounded hippopotamus flesh and 
pumpkin, and flavored with red pepper and salt. After 
breakfast they washed themselves in a shallow pool among 
the rocks in the river’s bed, and returned to the village to 
attend a general meeting of the inhabitants. 

The people were already assembled beneath a large syc- 
amore in the centre of the village, and Ned observed with 
surprise that a beautiful young girl of about nineteen sat 
upon a raised seat as their chief or queen. She rose as 
Ned advanced, and smiling graciously, she raised his hands 
three times above his head, and requested him to be seated 
upon a lion’s skin by her side. 

The whole story of the shipwreck and Ned’s wanderings 
up to the present time had to be repeated, during which the 
queen’s large black eyes were riveted upon Ned’s handsome 
countenance and fine manly figure. The story was com- 
pleted, and loud murmurs arose upon all sides, until an old 
man with snow-white hair arose and addressed the queen 
and her people. 

“ Great queen,” he said, “ it is the custom of our tribe to 
receive the stranger with hospitality, as we ourselves may 
require assistance when in a strange country. According 
to our rule, we have welcomed the man with the yellow 
hair; we have lodged and fed him and his companion, and 
we will keep them for three days, as we are bound to do by 
our custom, but at the expiration of that time they must de 


CAST Ur BY THE SEA. 


359 


part. We are weak, and the Mazita, from whom they have 
escaped, are strong. There is no rain to wash away the 
foot-prints : they will follow on their tracks, and we shall 
suffer at their hands for harboring those who have escaped 
from their lances. Is this not true, my brothers ?” said the 
old man, as he turned to the assembly. 

“ True !” shouted every voice except that of the young 
queen. 

“We have no wish to Temain,” said Ned. “We thank 
you, great queen, for your welcome,” he continued, as he 
turned toward her and raised her hands above her head, 
“ and we should be sorry to bring misfortune upon you in 
return for your kindness. I only beg you to keep us until 
to-morrow shall have passed, as our feet are sore with the 
hard march, and that you will give us a guide across the 
desert on the following day.” 

A shout of approval followed this speech ; but the queen 
commanded silence. She rose and spoke, and Ned thought 
he had never seen a more graceful figure. She was tall 
and rather slender, although her limbs were beautifully de- 
veloped. Her head was prettily ornamented with a chap- 
let of various colored beads interspersed with bright feath. 
ers ; the rest of her scanty attire consisted of a short fringe 
of about a foot in length, formed of innumerable single rows 
of small beads threaded upon the twisted fibre of the plan- 
tain, and fastened to a leather belt around her waist, from 
which they descended like a short kilt to a few inches above 
her knees. The beads were tastefully arranged in various 
colors, and their weight retained them in the necessary po- 
sition to conceal the figure. She had bracelets of polished 
brass rings upon her wrists and above the elbows, and ank- 
lets of the same metal, ornamented with minute bells that 
tinkled as she moved. Her complexion was a deep copper 
color, and when she spoke she exposed a beautiful row oi 


360 


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teeth as white as pearls. Looking proudly at the assembly 
around her 3 she said : “Are my people like the apes that 
fear the approach of the leopard, or are they like the lion 
that guards his own den ? Did I not slay this lion upon 
which I sit ? and am I not a lioness that will protect my 
cubs ? The strangers that seek my protection are my chib 
dren, and I will guard them as the lioness fights for her 
young.” 

As the beautiful young queen said these words with de- 
termined emphasis, she cast her eyes upon Ned, who was 
not slow to perceive an expression of tenderness that he at 
once feared might lead to a difficulty. The people whom 
she addressed, naturally feared their powerful neighbors; 
and not being smitten to the heart by Ned’s personal attrac- 
tions, they did not enter into their queen’s feelings. But 
the old man who had already spoken had already too much 
experience to contradict the passionate young Amazon who 
ruled them ; accordingly he replied, like an old courtier, 
that “the queen’s will was her people’s pleasure, even 
should she command them to die.” 

After a long conference the assembly broke up ; every 
one looking discontented but the young queen, who, shortly 
after she had retired, sent one of her maids as a messenger 
to request Ned’s attendance in the royal hut. 

After a rest of three days in this delightful village Ned 
requested a guide to lead them through the desert, which 
was described as a hard journey of three days without wa- 
ter. Tim had at once perceived that the young queen had 
fallen desperately in love with Ned, and he dreaded the con- 
sequences, as she would endeavor to detain them in hei 
country; he therefore advised Ned to leave the village, and 
to push on as rapidly as possible, as the fickleness of a pas* 
sionate young savage might eventually lead to a danger 
equal to that from which they had just escaped. Ned was 


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361 


equally aware of the dilemma, and he agreed with Tim that 
it was absolutely necessary to be off without further delay, 
as he had determined to push for Zanzibar at all hazards, 
where they would receive protection from the Portuguese, 
and be forwarded to England. Already Ned had discov- 
ered that the beads worn by the queen and others of the 
tribe were brought by Arab traders from the coast in ex- 
change for ivory and slaves, and he trusted that when they 
should have accomplished the terrible desert journey, the 
great difficulties of the march would have been overcome, 
and they would meet trading-parties of either Arabs or 
Portuguese, from whom they could obtain assistance. 

Tim had already engaged a guide who professed to know 
the desert route, and it was agreed that they were to start 
after sunset by stealth and march throughout the night as 
rapidly as possible, so as to travel in a cool temperature and 
to consume as little water as possible. The goat-skins were 
in good order, and Ned proposed that the guide should pro- 
cure an ox, which should be loaded with two extra water- 
skins : they could then drive the ox throughout the night, 
and kill it when it should become distressed from thirst ; 
they could then replenish their own water-skins, and eat 
what they might require of the animal. 

It was about noon when these preparations were com- 
pleted, and Ned anxiously awaited the hour of sunset. He 
was sitting in his hut, and had just packed his few articles 
of baggage, when he was sent for by the queen. When he 
entered her hut she was reclining upon an immense lion’s 
skin ; the shaggy black mane was supported by a bundle of 
sweet-scented grass so as to form a pillow, upon which she 
leaned her beautifully-rounded arm, and without rising from 
her position, she told Ned to sit upon a leopard-skin by her 
side. 

“ Son of the yellow hair,” she said as she looked fondly 


362 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


at him, “we are alone, and I wish to speak to you on a 
matter of great importance. I had a dream last night that 
has disturbed me. I was sitting before my people beneath 
the sycamore, when the air suddenly became dark, and I 
heard a noise like thunder in the sky. I fell, and knew 
nothing ; but, when I recovered, I felt as though I were 
falling from a dizzy height ; at length, when I expected to 
be crushed against the ground, I was caught and saved 
by a pair of strong white arms, and I found that I was 
in the grasp of the son with the yellow hair. I woke, and 
I was alone ; he was not there ! Again I slept, and dream- 
ed I was sitting before my people, and the son of the yellow 
hair sat by my side; the crown of beads that I wear was 
upon his head, and three birds with bright feathers flew 
around me and cried, in a loud voice, 1 Take to thyself the 
son of the yellow hair, and let him sit upon the lion’s skin !’ 
We can not disobey the birds,” continued the queen. 
“Now come and sit with me upon the lion’s skin and be 
my chief, and all my people shall obey you as their king.” 

This was a climax to Ned’s worst fears ; the lovely queen 
had determined that he should share the throne with her, 
and he knew not how to reply without giving dire offense. 
As Ned had directed his steps toward Zanzibar and broken 
through his long imprisonment, his thoughts were engrossed 
with the fond recollections of home and the Edith of his 
boyish days, and he longed to see her grown into woman- 
hood, and to prove whether her childish love had been as 
sincere and lasting as his own ; he now found himself pro- 
posed for by a beautiful young savage from whom there 
appeared but a faint hope of escape. 

At this difficult moment he was suddenly relieved by the 
loud beating of an immense drum in the court of the queen’s 
dwelling ; it was almost immediately followed by loud shouts 
and blowing of horns, while the old man who had spoken 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


363 


at the assembly rushed into the queen’s presence and shout 
ed : “ My words are true ; the Mazita are upon us ! Up, 
son of the yellow hair, and fight ! We suffer for you ! we 
shall all be slain !” 

Ned started to his feet, as did the young queen also. A 
few moments before her eyes had beamed with love ; but 
at the sound of war another expression took possession of 
them, and they brightened with a fire of determined cour- 
age. Before making a reply, she coolly took from a peg a 
long bow made of an elastic wood : this was already strung 
according to the custom of that country ; she then took a 
piece of bees-wax and carefully rubbed the string. There 
was a large quiver on the wall containing about forty arrows 
frightfully barbed and poisoned ; this she slung across her 
shoulders, and addressing Ned, she exclaimed : “ Son of the 
yellow hair, fight by my side ! If we fall, we die together : 
the lioness will protect her cubs.” 

Following the undaunted and beautiful young savage, 
Ned left her hut, and, upon entering the court, he was met 
by Tim, who assured him that about two thousand of the 
Mazita were in sight, advancing upon the village ; they had 
first been observed by the herd-boys who were minding the 
goats on the other side of the river, and they had immedi- 
ately rushed to the village and given the alarm. 

The Mazita had discovered Ned’s escape on the morning 
after his start ; and as the sorcerers declared that no rain 
would fall until he and the dog should be killed, they had 
at once collected a large force, and followed so rapidly upon 
the tracks that they had before the evening arrived at the 
skeletons of the buffaloes, to which they had been directed 
by the clouds of vultures hovering in circles in the air. 

They guessed the direction of Ned’s flight until they had 
at length arrived at the foot-prints of Tim and himself upon 
the ashes of the newly-burned grass, which conducted them 


364 


CAST UP BY THE SEA 


straight to the village in which they had been received by 
the queen of the Mapondas. 

There was no time to be lost; and Ned immediately 
armed himself, and determined to ascend the rocks that 
commanded the narrow approach to the village, which he 
felt confident he and Tim could defend so long as their am- 
munition lasted. He communicated his intention to the 
warlike queen, who was eager for the fray. 

Already about two hundred natives of the village had 
armed themselves with bows and arrows, and waited for 
her commands. Ned advised that they should be stationed 
among the rocks, well concealed, and that they should guard 
the difficult approach by a constant flight of arrows, while 
he and Tim, with the undaunted queen, should protect the 
narrow defile. 

In a few minutes the natives had disappeared, and had 
taken their respective positions among the rocks without 
the slightest noise, while Ned and Tim followed the active 
queen up the precipitous cliffs, and at length took their sta- 
tions upon a broad ledge of rock about a hundred feet 
above the gate-way, which, although an exposed spot, com- 
pletely commanded the approach. 

They had hardly reached their station before the dense 
mass of the enemy were perceived advancing to the attack 
from the grove of bananas below the village: with wild 
shouts, intermingled with the harsh braying of their horns, 
they rushed up the steep ascent and delivered a shower of 
arrows directed at Ned and Tim, who, with the heroic 
queen, were the first objects that met their view. 

The arrows all fell short, and struck harmlessly again»t 
the face of the cliff. It was now the turn of the defenders. 
The queen stood erect upon the high shelf of rock, and 
drawing her bow steadily, with her left arm as rigid as an 
iron bar, she let an arrow fly at a chief who was leading the 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


365 


attack ; he carried a shield before him, in the centre of 
which the swift arrow struck with a sharp sound that could 
be distinctly heard. Passing through the tough giraffe’s 
hide, it nailed the shield to his breast, and he fell backward 
to die after a few brief struggles. A loud cheer from the 
defenders followed the successful shot. With admirable 
coolness, the queen exposed herself to a flight of arrows, 
some of which she escaped by nimbly springing on one 
side; but, quick in return, she shot her poisoned arrows 
in rapid succession, nearly the whole of which buried their 
points in the enemy or stuck in their tough shields. She 
was a beautiful type of the Amazon, as she stood fearlessly 
upon the rock, and with a face beaming with courage and 
determination she sent death into their ranks at almost 
every twang of her bow-string. 

“Well done, son of the yellow hair !” shouted the excited 
Leona as Ned opened tire, and two of the enemy fell to one 
bullet that had passed through them both. For an instant 
this checked the attack; but as Ned’s fire-arms were noth- 
ing new to the Mazita, they again pressed bravely forward, 
and that with such determination and courage that they 
gained the narrow alley which led to the gate-way. This 
was directly below the spot upon which the queen stood, 
supported by the guns from Ned and Tim, every shot of 
which told upon the dense throng which pressed through 
the difficult approach. Ned requested Leona to kneel be- 
hind a large, loose mass of rock that would protect her as 
she shot: but although the arrows were flying thick, the 
dauntless young queen scorned concealment, and with ex- 
traordinary strength she put her shoulder to the heavy frag- 
ment and moved it toward the edge of the perpendicular 
cliff. Ned laid his gun upon the ground, and assisted her 
to roll the rock upon the heads of those a hundred feet be- 
fow< It crashed with a dull echo into the dense throng of 


3 66 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


fighting-men. This was the signal for a storm of rocks and 
stones that were now showered upon the attacking party 
from all sides, as many of the defenders had manned the 
cliffs, upon which a large store of such missiles had been 
prepared to resist an assault upon the gate-way. Leona 
had shot away her last arrow, and she now threw stones 
with great rapidity from a large pile upon the ledge. The 
alley was choked with the dead, as the rocks hurled down 
upon the enemy were more destructive than bullets from a 
gun. Ned and Tim directed their fire at the leaders, and 
brought them down one by one with fatal certainty as they 
reached the gate and attempted to force an entrance. At 
length an enormous rock of several tons’ weight that had 
been an original portion of the cliff, upon the edge of which 
it almost balanced, was set in motion by the united efforts 
of about twenty men, who had worked the supporting 
stones from beneath it with long bamboos. For a moment 
the huge mass tottered, and the next instant it fell forward, 
carrying with it one of those who had assisted to dislodge 
it from its bed. This avalanche of stone rushed through 
the air, accompanied by a shower of smaller rocks that had 
been loosened by its fall. 

With a tremendous crash it descended upon the heads 
of those below, crushing to instant death about twenty of 
the enemy, and completely blocking up the alley, so that 
those between it and the gateway were shut up in a prison 
of rock. With a loud shout of triumph Leona leaned over 
the edge of the cliff to watch the effect of this tremendous 
fall, but at almost the same moment her beautiful arms were 
thrown convulsively in the air as an arrow pierced her bo- 
som and penetrated completely through her back. Ned 
saw the barbed point as it protruded some inches through 
her soft dark skin, and catching her in his arms just in time 
to prevent her from falling over the cliff, he supported the 




QE A 


TH O? THE AMAZON QUEEN. 











CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


369 


dying Amazon. The arrow had passed through her heart ; 
she had instinctively clasped one arm around Ned’s neck, 
and she fixed her large eyes fondly upon him for a few mo- 
ments as she vainly strove to speak. With a smile of love 
and triumph upon her beautiful features, Leona’s brave 
spirit fled. Ned laid her body gently down, and straight- 
ening her lovely limbs, he placed her bow and empty quiver 
by her side, and then renewed the fight. 

There was little left to complete the victory. The fall 
of the huge rock had created a panic ; those who had been 
hemmed within the narrow passage had been massacred to 
a man, and Ned and Tim now opened fire with fatal effect 
upon the retreating throng, who fell pell-mell down the steep 
approach in their frantic efforts to escape from the cloud of 
arrows and the bullets that whizzed amons: them. 

The fight was over. The defenders had not lost many 
men, as they had been more or less protected by the rocks, 
but several were wounded by poisoned arrows, whose death 
was certain, as the slightest puncture would be fatal. 

The body of the courageous queen was laid out upon the 
lion’s skin upon which she used to sit beneath the syca- 
more, and all the women wept and raised their loud shrill 
cry of distress, in Avhich the men joined as they mourned 
for the beautiful Leona. Her bow and quiver lay by her 
side ; and although her lovely features were placid, the stern 
smile of triumph still lingered upon her face as Ned, for the 
last time, looked upon her with deep regret that he should 
have been the unwilling cause of her untimely end. 

“ Massa Ned,” said Tim, “ dis a bad job ’tirely ; de poor 
queen’s dead ; but if she alive, dat’s a worse job, she never 
let Massa Ned go away. Neber see in all my life such 
eyes! De queen love Massa Ned like mad; bad ting dat. 
I know de nigger queen. All fire one day, all water de 
next ; love you in de night, kill you in de morning ; dat’s de 


370 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


trick ’xactly. Bad job de poor queen’s dead, worse job if 
she alive; dat’s a fact ’xactly. Now, Massa Ned, let’s cut 
and run before anoder job begins.” 

The philosophic Tim having given his opinion, with 
which Ned could hardly disagree, however much he might 
have admired the beauty and courage of the unfortunate 
young queen, he determined to start without delay, as for- 
tune had hitherto smiled upon their journey beyond his 
most sanguine hopes. Once across the terrible desert, he 
would have little to fear. 

Ned addressed himself to the old man of the village, and 
declared that he would not remain any longer among them, 
lest he might bring fresh calamities upon their tribe ; and, 
deploring the queen’s death, he begged that he might depart 
at once. His determination was applauded by all present, 
and as the guide was a native of a tribe to which he wished 
to return on the other side of the desert, there was no diffi- 
culty. All was prepared for the journey ; an ox was load- 
ed with two large water-skins, and after a hearty meal, Ned 
and Tim took leave of their hosts and started. The guide 
was a fine powerful man who knew the route thoroughly; 
he had distinguished himself in the late fight, but he had 
received a slight scratch upon the arm from an arrow as it 
had grazed his skin during its flight ; he had simply bound 
a piece of plantain-leaf around the scratch to prevent the 
flies from troubling him. After an hour’s quick walking 
they left the forest that bordered the river, and entered 
upon a boundless plain of sand and pebbles, devoid of all 
vegetation except a few stunted mimosas, and scattered tufts 
of a withered wiry-looking grass. 

Although this portion of the country was a frightful 
desert during the dry season, it abounded with grass and 
water during the rains ; but when the drought arrived, there 
was a general disappearance of all herbage, as it became so 


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371 


completely dry that the fine grass broke into minute pieces, 
and was carried away by the wind, leaving bare the hot and 
barren soil that did not appear capable of producing vege- 
tation. For a distance of about a hundred and twenty 
miles there was neither w x ell nor stream : thus, as no drop 
of water could be procured during this dry season, it was 
necessary to force a march of about forty miles per day to 
accomplish the journey in three days. Ned did not fear 
any distance provided the supply of water was assured, but 
any accident to the water-skins would terminate in the de- 
struction of the entire party. 

They now pushed forward over the barren surface of 
the desert; their ammunition had been reduced by the late 
fight to ten rounds of cartridge each, therefore they had 
not much to carry beside their guns, as they had fastened 
their knapsacks upon the ox, which, having drunk water be** 
fore starting, would be able to travel for two days, 01 abou? 
eighty miles. 

24 


CHAPTER XX. 


HE moon rose, and the night air was cool and delicious. 



It was past midnight, and the party travelled rapidly 
along the even surface, unimpeded by the tangled vegeta- 
tion that had retarded them in some portions of their jour- 
ney. There was no wind, and not a cloud upon the sky, 
in which the stars shone with extraordinary brightness, al- 
though those near the moon were nearly eclipsed by her ex- 
treme light. There was a silvery glow upon the wild desert 
* that gave an indescribable beauty to the scene: the rocks 
that rose abruptly from the sandy plain appeared to assume 
the forms of monsters, as in the indistinct haze of distance 
Ned sometimes fancied that they moved; but in reality 
there was no life within the parched and dreary desert — all 
was solitude, sand-rocks, and rounded pebbles. The ox, 
laden sparingly with the knapsacks and water-skins, march- 
ed well ; the tinkle of an iron bell suspended from its neck 
was the only sound that disturbed the silence of the spot, 
while the tall, powerful figures of Ned and Tim, following 
the guide, seemed to glide like spectres along the sandy 
waste, upon which their footsteps left no sound. 

The night passed away, and the moon grew pale as the 
first streaks of dawn appeared in the east. Quickly the 
stars disappeared, and the planet Yenus, lately so brilliant, 
faintly glimmered as the last of the bright host, and then 
vanished from view as the gorgeous orb of gold rose sud- 
denly from the horizon of desert, and glowed all mighty 
upon the sterile scene. It was the horror of sunrise. The 


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373 


pitiless destroyer rose vigorous in the sky, rejoicing in his 
power. The air, lately so cool, now quivered with insup. 
portable heat ; the sand of the desert scorched the feet ; the 
poisonous breath of the Simoom, that destroying wind that 
seems to own a furnace as its birthplace blew upon them ; 
still on they journeyed rapidly, as there was no shade in 
which to halt. 

For fourteen hours they had marched without a rest, as 
it was necessary to push on with the greatest rapidity at 
the early part of the journey, that the ox might carry the 
water and knapsacks as far as possible before it should be- 
come exhausted from thirst, when it would be necessary to 
kill it. All were fatigued with intense heat, and the guide 
suffered from the slight scratch upon his arm, which had 
swollen, and was extremely painful. 

For some time they had seen a lofty rocky mountain in 
the distance among a chain of lower hills ; they determined 
to push on for the higher ground, in which they might dis- 
cover some rock that would shelter them from the burning 
sun. For nearly four hours they marched, until they at 
length reached an overhanging rock in a rugged pass 
through which the dry bed of a broad torrent formed a 
stony road. Here, tired and thirsty, the party rested. Tim 
cut some brittle straw that was all that remained of some 
wiry herbage in the bed of the exhausted stream, and this 
he gave to the famished ox, that was too thirsty to eat; 
after vainly endeavoring to swallow a few mouthfuls, it re- 
fused the food. Tim now opened a water-skin, and moist- 
ened the straw by sprinkling it with a few handfuls of the 
precious fluid ; the ox then ate it greedily. 

The whole party lay down and slept. They woke at 
about 3 p.m., and immediately prepared to start ; but all 
were foot-sore, as they had marched about forty-eight miles. 
The guide’s arm was dreadfully swollen and painful, and the 


374 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


ox was suffering from extreme thirst. Ned commenced 
loading the tired animal. With Tim’s assistance he strap- 
ped on the knapsacks, and then he went to the spot where 
they had laid the water-skins in the shade. Horror of hor- 
rors ! they were empty ! 

It would be impossible to describe the shock that this 
terrible sight produced upon the whole party. The skins 
were literally torn to pieces by the horns of the ox ! The 
thirsty animal had seen Tim sprinkle water from the skins 
upon the dry straw ; during their sleep it had risen, and, 
discovering the water, it had attempted to drink by tearing 
open the leather sacks with its horns. Every drop had im- 
mediately disappeared in the sand. Not even the ox had 
procured a mouthful ; it could only lick the damp sand and 
the empty water-skins. 

Both Ned and Tim had a small supply in the skins which 
they carried on their backs ; the guide had none, as he had 
depended upon those carried by the ox. They had at least 
seventy miles of desert before them. 

Ned and Tim looked at each other, but neither dared to 
utter a word ; the future appeared certain, and too horrible 
to think of. They agreed to put the small quantity of 
water that remained into Ned’s water-skin, as that of Tim 
leaked slightly, and the evaporation from one skin would be 
less than from two. 

The guide was in dreadful pain, but, as no time could be 
lost, they started, and it was agreed that they must push 
on for their very existence, and march the seventy miles 
without a halt; this Ned hoped to accomplish in about 
twenty-four hours, but, in his own mind, he did not feel 
certain of the distance, as the native accounts could never 
be depended upon. 

The guide appeared stupefied with pain, but he pointed 
with his lance in the direction that they were to take, and 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


375 


he declared that they would arrive at a river upon which 
was a village and trading-depot of Arabs from Zanzibar ; 
but that it was two days’ fair marching distant. Ned took 
the bearing with his compass, and with heavy hearts they 
pushed on. For about five miles they followed the steep 
and winding water-course until they arrived at the summit 
of the mountain range, from which they had a distant view, 
and Ned hoped to have discovered some point that would 
have been the limit of their journey. The guide pointed 
to a far-distant cone which could faintly be distinguished 
on the horizon ; that was the mountain beneath which the 
village was situated. Ned felt certain that it was at least 
sixty-five miles distant. He was already thirsty, but he 
dared not drink. For some minutes they had sat upon a 
rock to observe the country ; they now would have started, 
but the guide could not rise from the ground ; his arm was 
swollen to the size of a man’s thigh, and he complained of 
giddiness and total paralysis of the lower limbs. 

“ The arrow was poisoned,” he faintly uttered ; “ I must 
die. I thirst ; give me water !” 

“ Don’t give de water, Massa Ned,” said Tim ; “ de pison 
kill him quick. What for give de water? Water or no 
water, de pison kill him. Save de water, for God’s sake, 
Massa Ned, or we all die !” 

It was a painful trial, but Ned felt that Tim’s advice was 
just; the unfortunate guide was doomed, as the poison of 
the arrow had become thoroughly absorbed into the sys- 
tem. He was already delirious, and, raging with a burning 
thirst, he raved for water. His sufferings were pitiable, 
and Ned felt half inclined to share the last small portion 
with him, when the guide suddenly seized his lance that lay 
by his side and drove it deep into the throat of the ox that 
was standing by him. As the animal fell to the blow, 
pierced to the heart, the dying guide fell upon it, and glue 


376 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


in g his parched lips to the wound from which the blood 
spouted, he drank madly his last draught. 

Although each moment was precious, as delay added to 
their thirst, Ned could not leave the guide alone to die 
upon the desert. For about three hours he remained to wit- 
ness the agonies of the miserable man, who, as the poison 
wreaked its fatal work, swelled in all his limbs, and in his 
body until he appeared to be inflated. At last the throat 
swelled also to such an extent that, after a few convulsive 
struggles for breath, he stretched himself out and lay upon 
the burning sand a corpse. 

Both Ned and Tim were horror-struck ; they were them- 
selves in the agony of thirst, but no more than about a 
quart of water remained ; it had evaporated from the near- 
ly empty water-skin. They pushed on down the mountain 
side and reached the level ground. 

The sun had sunk. Once more the air was cool; and 
although thirsty and fatigued, they freshened for their 
work and determined to accomplish the night’s long march 
at as great speed as possible. They pushed on and marched 
until sunrise at the rate of four miles an hour, without 
drinking. The moon had been their friend, but once more 
she became pale, and the dreadful enemy again appeared — 
the sun ! 

As the sun rose upon the two unfortunate young men, 
it shone upon tired and haggard-looking creatures that had 
scarcely signs of youth. Their cheeks were livid and sunk- 
en, their eyes bloodshot, and their lips swollen, while they 
still marched forward with an expression of fearful distress 
and desperation. 

They had walked about forty-eight miles from the spot 
where they had left the guide. The blue conical mountain 
appeared to be within fifteen miles of them; once at the 
foot, they would find water, as the river flowed at its base, 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


371 


The sun rose hot as fire, and again the dreadful Simoom 
blew, and they felt faint at the terrible heat. They both 
reeled with fatigue and thirst. Ned could support the lat- 
ter no longer. During the cool night the water had not 
evaporated, but he knew that the Simoon would dry up 
their scanty store within an hour. 

“ Drink, Tim !” said Ned ; “ we will each share the last 
drop, and, please God, we may then hold out till the end, 
but we must not halt, or we are lost. Drink, my dear Tim, 
a full half, and leave the rest for me !” 

Tim was fearfully distressed from thirst, and he clutched 
the water-skin from Ned’s hands. For an instant he hes- 
itated, as he gazed intently at his loved master, who was in 
a lamentable state of exhaustion ; he then eagerly pressed 
the mouth of the water-skin to his lips and appeared to 
drink. 

“ Drink more, you have not had your share ; and I will 
then finish it, * said Ned. 

Again Tim appeared to drink, after which he handed the 
water-skin to Ned, who ravenously finished it, devoutly ex- 
claiming, “ Thank God !” as the last drop gurgled down his 
throat. 

“Tank God, Massa Ned,” repeated Tim, as he watched 
Ned’s refreshed countenance with a mingled expression of 
intense affection and agony. 

Throwing the empty water-skin upon his shoulder, Ned 
now led the way, followed by Tim. They could no longer 
walk fast ; their feet were terribly swollen, and although 
they had thrown away their knapsacks, and Ned had re- 
served nothing but his compass and chart, they could bare- 
ly march at the rate of three miles an hour. The sun rose 
higher, and the heat increased. They walked slower and 
plower until they almost crawled. 

Tim lagged many yards behind; several times Ned halt* 


378 


CAST VP BY THE SEA. 


ed and waited for him. As he came up he reeled from 
side to side, and his tongue was hanging from his mouth 
parched and furred like a hare-skin. Once more he lagged 
more than a hundred yards behind. Again Ned waited; 
he was himself also exhausted from a frightful thirst and 
prostration; he could scarcely feel the ground with his 
feet. 

At length Tim staggered slowly up, and stopping sud- 
denly, he clasped his head with both his hands, and reeling 
backward, he fell heavily upon the ground. Ned endeav- 
ored to raise him. 

“Tim! my dear Tim, for God’s sake don’t give in!” 
cried Ned ; “I am nearly done myself ; but if we can only 
march a few hours more we may yet be saved from this 
horrible death.” 

Tim fainted, and lay for some minutes insensible. Ned 
thought he was dead. At length he recovered conscious- 
ness, but he could hardly articulate, as his tongue was as 
dry as leather. “Go on, Massa Ned!” he said; “leave 
Tim to die. I can’t move again. I going to die, Massa 
Ned.” 

Tim’s features were drawn and contracted, and he 
breathed with difficulty. Ned felt a giddiness overcoming 
him, and he feared that he should faint as the blood rushed 
to his head as he leaned over the prostrate Tim and en- 
deavored to support his head. 

“ Pray God forgive Tim, Massa Ned ; go on, go on ! 
Leave Tim to die.” 

“ I’ll never leave you, Tim ; my true, my faithful friend,” 
said Ned, in an agony of despair, as he saw the unmistaka 
ble signs of death stealing across Tim’s face. “We 11 die 
together, if die we must. Oh for one draught of water !” 
cried Ned ; “ one draught to save my poor Tim’s life !” 

A faint smile crossed Tim’s haggard face as he heard 







DEATH OF TIM. 



CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


38 ] 


these words, and, looking at Ned, he said painfully, “Pray 
God forgive me, Massa Ned ; I told one lie : I told one lie.” 

“ What lie, Tim ?” said Ned ; “ you have never told me 
a lie.” 

“Yes, Massa Ned; p’raps God forgive me if you ask 
Him. I told one lie about de water, and now I die. I told 
Massa Ned I drink my half — dat one lie. I not touch one 
drop ; I leave it for my dear Massa Ned. Dat save him 
p’raps, if go on quick and leave Tim to die. God bless you, 
my dear Massa Ned ! Tim got no frens, only one poor 
nigger ; nobody cry for Tim. Let him die ! Go on, my 
dear Massa Ned ! Go home ; see fader and model* ; de 
Miss Edit! see all— all— all!” 

Tim could speak no more. Ned wrung his hands in an 
agony of despair. Now, for the first time, he knew that 
heroic act of devotion in his brave and all-suffering follower. 
Although dying of thirst, he would not drink his share of 
the scanty pittance ; but he had practiced the too generous 
deception to save his master's life. 

“ Oh, Tim, dear friend ! too good, too generous ! how 
shall I forgive myself for this ?” cried Ned, “ that you 
should die that I might live ! Rather let us both die as we 
have lived, together, and trust to God to bless us both here- 
after !” 

At these words Tim convulsively raised himself upon his 
elbows, and looking up to the burning sun with fixed eye- 
balls that never contracted before the blazing light, he laugh- 
ed wildly in delirium. For some minutes he uttered this 
frightful mirth, and then a change came over his face. Still 
looking fixedly at the sky, his features became placid and 
assumed an expression of intense happiness and peace. 
Smiling as though tasting the joy that the next world alone 
could give, he said, “ My God ! my God ! I see de water- 
springs ! tank God Almighty !” Tim fell gently back upon 


382 


CAST (IP BY THE SEA. 


the ground ; his soul was at the water-springs ; and Ned 
wept over the body of his beloved friend. 

A giddiness seized Ned’s brain ; his tongue hung from 
his mouth, and he fell insensible by Tim’s side. Had he 
not drunk that one long draught that Tim’s devotion offer- 
3d, he would have been the first victim to a death by thirst. 

There was a rumbling sound far distant in the air when 
Tim’s last words spoke of the water-springs. Again it 
sounded louder and nearer than before, and from the south- 
ern horizon rose a cloud, like that of Elijah, no bigger than 
a man’s hand. Again the deep muttering sound vibrated 
through the desert as distant thunder spoke to ears that 
could not hear. And now from every point of the horizon 
clouds arose, at first snow-white, but rapidly increasing in 
size and darkening in color, until they became an inky 
black, and the fierce sun himself was veiled. Within an 
hour from the time of poor Tim’s last gasp, as though his 
spirit had petitioned the Great Mover of the water-springs, 
not one speck of blue sky could be discerned, but pitch- 
black clouds formed a thick canopy above the earth. 

The lightning played incessantly ; the thunder roared and 
cracked enough to waken up the dead ; and the rain — that 
heaven-sent torrent — poured like a water-spout upon the 
famished earth, and almost flooded the lately- withered des- 
ert. Oh ! had that rain descended one hour sooner ! — but 
no ! it would have condemned to longer life on earth one 
who was now in heaven. 

For more than two hours the rain poured in an uninter- 
rupted deluge. Cascades of clear water fell rushing from 
the lately torrid rocks : and deep water-courses, filled with 
a muddy fluid, tore their wild course along the sandy des- 
ert : the whole of the level ground was ankle -deep in water. 
In this lay the bodies of Ned and Tim, side by side. Sud- 
denly, as though awakened from a deep sleep, Ned sat up 


CAST UP BY THE SEA . 


383 


and stared wildly round him. The rain still poured, and 
the thunder burst heavily at intervals. 

Rubbing his eyes, he exclaimed, “ It is a dream ! where 
am I ? I dreamed that Tim had died of thirst in the des- 
ert. Ha ! here he is. Wake up, Tim, or we shall be drown- 
ed !” saying which, Ned, half delirious from over-exhaus- 
tion and thirst, placed his lips to the flood that covered 
the ground and drank deeply. Taking a deep breath as he 
slaked his thirst, he now turned toward his silent compan- 
ion, and, taking one arm, he endeavored to arouse him. 
He dropped the arm as the fatal truth flashed upon him — 
the body was cold and stiffened ! 

Ned could find no tears to relieve his feelings; but he 
knelt by the side of all that remained of his faithful friend 
and follower and gazed upon his swollen features in intense 
affliction. The dreamy delirium passed away, and he re- 
membered all. He was in the desert alone, and he had lost 
all that had cheered his many years of captivity, together 
with every joy and sorrow. Tim was dead ! 

He heard a sudden noise — a rushing sound in the air — 
and, looking up, he perceived a huge vulture descending 
from on high, with closed wings, with the noise of a rocket, 
in its eagerness to be a sexton for the dead. Many of these 
birds were circling in the air above the spot, while several 
were already perched upon the neighboring rocks waiting 
for their opportunity. A thrill of horror ran through Ned’s 
veins. There was a deep crevice in a plateau of solid rock 
a few yards distant. Thither, as a labor of love, he carried, 
with much difficulty, the rigid body, and gently lowered it 
within the narrow vault. He then fetched rocks as large 
as he could lift ; these he placed across the crevice until he 
had effectually protected it with a pile of heavy fragments 
that would defy the attacks of vultures or wild animals. 
Ned drank once more, and half filled his water-skin from 


384 


CAST UP BT THE SEA . 


a clear stream that spouted from a rock, and, slinging it 
upon his shoulder, he took Tim’s gun and ammunition in 
addition to his own. Thus loaded, he took a last farewell 
of the fatal spot, and in a few words, as he stood by the 
grave, he offered up a heartfelt prayer for the dead, and for 
guidance on his lonely way. 

Strengthened by the cool rain, and rendered callous to 
fatigue by sorrow, he wandered on direct for the high blue 
cone that had been pointed out as a landmark by the guide. 
This appeared to be nearer than before, as the rain had ren- 
dered the atmosphere doubly clear, but it was in reality 
about fourteen miles distant. Ned plodded on. 

It was nearly sunset when he reached a grove of tall 
palm-trees that grew in a long line at the base of the mount- 
ain, and extended as far as the eye could reach. Passing 
through these for about two hundred yards, he perceived a 
considerable village upon a high rocky ridge, which looked 
down upon a roaring torrent now swollen by the rain. 
Without caring for his reception, Ned slowly ascended the 
rocky path and entered the village. To his astonishment 
he was met by a number of Arabs, instead of the natives to 
whom he had been accustomed. These people were en- 
gaged in storing elephants’ tusks within a large shed that 
was constructed after a different fashion to the huts of the 
natives. Upon seeing Ned, they gathered around him ; and 
he, tired, hungry, and dispirited, threw his two guns upon 
the ground, and then lay down exhausted at full length. 

For some time Ned lay half asleep, but at length, hav- 
ing recovered sufficiently to speak, he endeavored to explain 
his situation. Although only a small portion of his narra- 
tive was understood, it was sufficient to arouse the sym- 
pathy of his hearers, who declared that Ned had brought 
good luck to the country, as the rain had arrived with him. 
The Arabs were ivory and slave traders belonging to 


CAST UP BT THE SEA. 


38, n 


Zanzibar. Many of their slaves had been purchased from 
the country in which Ned had so long been a captive ; thus, 
as he spoke their language, it was not difficult to procure 
an interpreter, and he shortly discovered several people who 
had served the Arabs for some years, and therefore had a 
knowledge of Arabic. 

There was no further difficulty in describing the adven- 
ture. Ned, having arrived among them with the first storm 
of rain that had fallen for nearly twelve months, was re- 
garded by the natives with a superstitious reverence that 
was also shared by the Arabs ; the latter agreed that he 
should join their party and accompany them to Zanzibar 
on their return. 

Some months passed away in the Arab camp, during 
which their parties made long excursions in the interior, 
and returned laden with ivory, together with many slaves. 
At length the long- wish ed-f or period arrived, and Ned, who 
had sadly missed and mourned for his faithful companion 
Tim, hailed the day of departure with joy as the Arabs beat 
their drum and assembled a body of five hundred porters 
to transport the tusks to Zanzibar. Long strings of slaves 
of both sexes accompanied the march ; many were fastened 
by ropes from neck to neck, while others were fettered by 
the forked stick similar to that in which Ned had been se- 
cured when first captured. 

In six weeks’ march they reached Zanzibar without any 
incident worthy of notice, and having delivered the ivory, 
the captain of the party introduced Ned to his employer, 
who was a wealthy Parsee merchant from Bombay. This 
man not only received him kindly, but furnished him with 
clothes and money, and promised to send him to Egypt on 
board one of his own vessels that would shortly proceed to 
Cosseir, on the Red Sea. Ned presented the captain of the 
trading-party with his two guns as a return for the kindness 


386 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


he had received, and, when the day of departure arrived, 
he warmly thanked the Parsee merchant for his hospitality, 
and sailed on board a large Arab dow loaded with ivory 
and slaves for Egypt. 

Once more Ned’s heart bounded with joy as he felt him* 
self again upon the sea, and steering toward home. 

The wind was favorable throughout the voyage, and 
without an accident of any kind they reached Cosseir. 
There they disembarked, and the cargo was transported on 
camels, while the slaves marched on foot across the desert 
to the Nile. Ned was provided with a camel, as the Bom- 
bay merchant had ordered that he should be well cared for, 
and be delivered to his agent at Alexandria. 

Upon arrival at the Nile the slaves were divided among 
several large-decked vessels, upon one of which Ned was 
furnished with a cabin, and they sailed down the stream. 
They were detained at several large towns on the banks of 
the river, and especially at Cairo, at which place many of 
the slaves were disposed of at good prices; and, after a 
voyage of three weeks, the boats arrived at Alexandria, and 
Ned for the first time looked upon the blue waters of the 
Mediterranean. He felt almost at home ; and having been 
kindly received by the agent of the Parsee merchant, he was 
provided with a passage on board an English vessel that 
was about to sail. 

The sight of the union-jack flying at the mast-head that 
Ned had not seen for many years filled him with delight, 
and, as the boat took him alongside, he sprang up the lad 
der and found himself on the clean deck of a fine merchant- 
vessel of about three hundred tons. The captain and crew 
were English, and Ned once more could speak his native 
tongue and associate with his own countrymen. The cap- 
tain was a fine hearty fellow, who took a fancy to Ned at 
first sight, and sympathized warmly with the history of his 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


387 


adventures, which quickly made the round of the ship, and 
Ned was looked upon as a second Robinson Crusoe. 

After a voyage of six weeks the vessel passed the Lizard 
light and entered the Channel. They were within sight 
of the coast on the following day with a light but favorable 
breeze, when they met a large fishing-smack, which they 
spoke, being anxious to obtain the earliest news from En- 
gland. To Ned’s delight she hailed from Falmouth, which 
would be his most favorable landing-place; therefore he 
took leave of the captain and crew of the vessel, with whom 
he had shared a most agreeable voyage, and, going on board 
the smack, the sails filled, and the two ships parted on their 
different courses. 

On the following day they sighted Falmouth, and once 
more Ned set his foot upon the soil of Old England. 


25 


CHAPTER XXI. 


N ED GREY happened to arrive at Falmouth a few days 
after Paul had been committed to prison by the mag- 
istrates on the original warrant for his apprehension ; thus 
he was lying in jail at that town to await his trial at the 
Sessions at the very time that Ned unconsciously hurried 
through on his way home. 

The committal of Paul to prison had been effected 
through the instrumentality of James Stevens, who had no 
sooner got rid of him from the rectory than he once more 
renewed his visits and pressed his suit with Edith. With 
consummate hypocrisy he had persuaded her, and also Polly 
Grey, that he was forced to commit Paul upon the warrant, 
but that, as the Sessions were drawing near, he would 
shortly be tried and acquitted, as there could be no doubt 
of his innocence. 

Although Edith felt no love for Stevens, she had learned 
not to dislike him : she had been so constantly talked to by 
her mother and impressed with the idea that he was really 
a worthy object for her affection, that she regarded him as 
a person whom it was not impossible that she might some 
day learn to love. Nevertheless she lingered fondly upon 
the recollections of the past, when her heart had first known 
the feelings of real love. It was by a pretended sympathy 
for her early affection for Ned Grey that Stevens had suc- 
ceeded in winning her regard; and well aware of the in- 
fluence thus obtained, he appeared tc delight in frequent al- 
lusions to the time when Ned and he served together on 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


389 


board the Sybille, during which he declared that he had 
been his greatest friend. 

It was the morning after Ned’s arrival at Falmouth that 
Stevens, having slept at the rectory, was at breakfast with 
Mrs. Jones, Polly Grey, and Edith. A fine young New- 
foundland dog was sitting by her side watching her face in- 
tently, in the hope that some morsel would fall to his share. 
This dog had been given to her by Stevens on the previous 
day. 

“ I shall call him Nero,” said Edith, “ in memory of poor 
dear old Nero, who, you say, was drowned in the sliip- 
wreck.” 

“ Yes,” replied Stevens, with a hypocritical sigh ; “ on 
the day that I saw poor Ned sink when the Forte was lost. 
Poor Ned,” he continued, “ I would have given the world to 
have saved him. Had I only had a boat-hook instead of an 
oar, I think I could have caught him by his clothes. I shall 
never forget his last look as the water closed over him.” 

Stevens took out his handkerchief and wiped his eyes. 
At this moment the servant entered with the letters. 

“ Ha ! a letter for me ! I am so glad. I am so glad, for 
I seldom receive one !” said Edith. “ I wonder who it’s 
from,” she continued, as she examined the seal that was 
simply the impression of a shilling. 

“You had better open it, my dear,” said her mother 5 
“ that’s the quickest way of ascertaining the name of your 
correspondent.” 

Edith broke the seal and read the letter. She turned 
deadly pale ; then a deep blush flushed across her face ; it 
was only for a moment, when she again changed to the 
whiteness of marble. 

“What’s the matter, my child?” exclaimed her mother, 
“Are you ill? What are the contents of that mysterious 
letter that affect you so deeply ?” 


390 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


For a few minutes Edith was silent, and holding the let- 
ter in her hands, which rested in her lap, she seemed lost in 
reflection, and her lips quivered with emotion. Both her 
mother and Polly Grey regarded her with astonishment. 
At length, subduing her excitement, and entirely command- 
ing her feelings, she fixed her large blue eyes upon Stevens, 
who sat opposite, and appeared to search him to the very 
heart. Her beautiful features gradually assumed a stern 
and determined expression as she calmly said, “ Mother, 
shall I read this letter aloud?” 

“ By all means,” said Mrs. Jones; “I’m quite curious to 
know the contents of this wonderful epistle.” 

Edith, in a clear voice that trembled slightly, read the 
following letter : 

“ Falmouth, January 8. 

“ Half mad with joy, and yet wilder with uncertainty, I 
am hurrying to the spot where my happiest days were 
spent : where last I parted from her whom I then called my 
own Edith. God grant that she and my dear parents are 
yet alive, and that she still remembers the love of her youth 
ful days, and that her heart is as unchanged as mine. 

“ My story is short. The morning after I left you I was 
taken by a press-gang, together with Tim and Nero. I was 
carried on board the Sybille , a frigate on her way to India. 
I could not write. On board I met Jem Stevens, God for- 
give him. In India we fought and captured the Forte. 
We were both sent home in charge: she was wrecked. 
Stevens went off with the frigate’s cutter, well -manned, and 
hacked at my hands with a knife when I swam up and clung 
to the boat. I was forced to let go and swim to the wreck. 
Tim would not leave me. We saved ourselves with a raft, 
together with Nero, and at last reached the coast of Africa, 
where we were captives among the savages for many years. 
We at length endeavored to escape. Poor Tim, alas! is 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 391 

dead. Nero is also dead ; and I am, thank God, alive and 
well, and hurrying on horseback, post-haste night and day, 
to see if my Edith is still my own ; if not, would that I had 
died with my devoted Tim and left my bones in Africa. 

“ If you are alive, Edith, dearest remembrance of m^ 
boyhood, I shall be with you almost as soon as you receive 
this letter, as I rush to meet my fate. 

“ Your own Ned Grey.” 

Edith folded the letter carefully together and handed it 
to Polly Grey; at the same time she rose from her seat, 
and, with extraordinary calmness, she regarded Stevens fix- 
edly. “ Yes,” she said, as her voice trembled and became 
hoarse with suppressed emotion, “ his own Edith until death 
shall part us.” 

“An explanation, if you please, Mr. Stevens,” continued 
Edith, as she gazed contemptuously at the miserable guilty 
object that sat before her, bowed down with shame and 
confusion. 

Stevens rose hurriedly, and saying, “ I will explain every 
thing,” was about to leave the room, when Edith, who was 
near the door, quickly turned the key, which she took from 
the lock and retained within her hand. 

“ You will have the kindness, sir, to amuse yourself with 
the newspaper until the arrival of your dear friend, Ned 
Grey, whom you endeavored to save from drowning; he 
will be rejoiced to return you his thanks, and to express his 
gratitude in person ; he is expected every instant.” 

“ Edith, for God’s sake let me depart, and I will shortly 
explain all !” exclaimed the terrified Stevens. 

“You do not leave this room, sir, until Ned Grey ar- 
rives,” replied Edith, with a disdainful calmness and deter- 
mination before which Stevens quailed. 

“ What is all this ? what is all this ?” cried Mrs. J ones. 


392 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


" Edith, my dear, are you going mad ?” continued the as- 
tonished mother ; while Polly, having read the letter, now 
regarded Stevens with an expression of horror as though he 
had been some poisonous reptile. 

At this moment the loud clattering of a horse’s hoofs 
was heard upon the frosty road. Mrs. Jones looked from 
the window ; “ Dear me !” she exclaimed, “ the horse has 
run away with somebody. Stop him !” she cried ; but as 
nobody was there to hear her commands, the rider reined 
up his horse, and quickly dismounting, he rang the bell. 

The bell continued ringing with such violence that the 
servant ran with more than his usual alacrity to the door. 

Although Edith had, with wonderful self-possession, as- 
sumed a calm demeanor, she was in reality intensely excited. 
The suddenness of the shock that would have prostrated 
most of her sex had nerved her for the moment of trial, and 
perceiving at a glance the treachery and hypocrisy of Ste- 
vens, she was determined that the explanation should be 
made face to face with the long-lost Ned. At the same 
time that, insulted by Stevens’s base deception, she re- 
solved upon this course, Edith’s mind was in a tumult of 
conflicting feelings. An intense disgust for Stevens was 
mingled with an overpowering ecstasy of delight at the 
knowledge that Ned not only had returned, but that his 
love for her was unaltered by years of absence. For the 
moment she felt independent of the whole world, and she 
was absorbed by a feeling of intense and perfect happiness 
that almost made her shudder as she imagined that it was 
too bright to last. 

The servant attempted to enter the room, and Edith un- 
locked the door. 

Almost as soon as he was announced, Ned Grey, who 
had thrown off his great-coat in the hall, entered. 

For a few moments he stood confused as he looked at 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


•393 


the various persons around him. Neither Polly nor Mrs. 
Jones were much changed, but he stared for some instants 
at the beautiful girl, who in her turn regarded his tall and 
handsome figure with an expression of surprise, mingled 
with the deepest affection. 

Their eyes thus met, and in a few short seconds, without 
one word spoken, they explained their unchanged love. 

“ My Edith!” exclaimed Ned Grey. “Oh, Ned! dear 
Ned !” cried Edith, as they both instinctively rushed for- 
ward and were locked in each other’s arms. 

After a few moments of indescribable happiness the 
blushing girl released herself from Ned’s embrace. Polly 
Grey was also hanging round his neck in a transport of 
delight ; but Edith had a sterner task to perform, and 
drawing herself up to her full height, with an air of haugh- 
tiness that was entirely foreign to her usual character, she 
said : 

“ Mr. Stevens, you have now the pleasure of meeting 
your dear friend, Ned Grey, whom you so generously at- 
tempted to save from drowning in the wreck then turn- 
ing to Ned, she continued : “ Mr. Stevens has honored me 
by a proposal of marriage, as he declared that he saw you 
drowned after he had vainly endeavored to assist you.” 

For some moments Ned regarded Stevens with an ex- 
pression of the lowest contempt. For one instant Stevens 
had attempted to meet his glance, but he quailed before it, 
and turned his eyes upon Mrs. Jones, who was in a state of 
utter confusion. 

“Liar! and would-be murderer!” said Ned, as he 
grasped the unresisting Stevens by the collar with his pow- 
erful right hand and led him to the door, “ leave this house, 
and never again cross the threshold, as you value your life !” 

As the servant slammed the front door upon the dis- 
graced Stevens, the wretch, pale and trembling, with a mixt 


394 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA. 


ure of rage and despair, muttered, as he walked rapidly 
toward the stable for his horse, “ There was a charge of 
willful murder, and a warrant for Ned Grey as well as for 
Paul.” 

It would be impossible to describe the happiness of 
Edith and Polly Grey. Ned had completed the long his- 
tory of his adventures, during which Edith had shed tears 
at Tim’s devoted martyrdom, and Mrs. Jones had on sev- 
eral occasions exclaimed, “ Well, I never!” when he had 
described the base conduct of James Stevens. It was now 
Edith’s turn to relate all that had happened since Ned’s de- 
parture, and for the first time he learned that Paul was in 
custody, and that a warrant had also been issued for his 
own apprehension upon the suspicion that he had been con 
cerned in the burglary and murder at the rectory. A1 
though such a charge appeared ridiculous, Ned did not 
fail to perceive that the sudden disappearance of Paul, Tim, 
and himself on the day of the burglary was sufficient to 
justify the suspicion, combined with the discovery of the 
two hundred guineas at Paul’s house, together with the 
jewels and articles of contraband. He now recalled to 
mind the fact of the two strange men having stealthily 
passed through the church -yard at the same time that 
Mother Lee had appeared, when he and Edith were sitting 
at dusk by the grave-stone of the unknown lady, and he 
had no doubt that the old hag was in some way connected 
with the robbery. The complexion of the affair caused 
him some uneasiness ; for, although he had no fear of the 
ultimate result, the fact of so horrible a suspicion having 
fallen upon Paul and himself was sufficiently embarrassing. 

Ned’s life had been so full of adventure and difficulty 
that he quickly resolved to bear patiently with this dilemma. 
The daily prayer of many years past had been granted : he 
was once more at home with his Edith, who was changed, 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


395 


only in appearance, from the girl he had left, to the beauti* 
ful woman whose heart had always been his own. 

When the first shock of Stevens’s disgrace had passed, 
Mrs. Jones regarded Ned with much curiosity and admira- 
tion. “He certainly is handsome — very handsome ; in fact, 
extremely handsome,” she said, as she sat alone with Edith, 
as Polly Grey had retired with Ned to have a chat with 
her boy alone for half an hour. “ You see, my dear child,” 
continued Mrs. J ones, “ that the ways of Providence are 
wonderful, and sailors are especially watched over.” Here 
Mrs. Jones thought of Captain Smart. “Sailors are the 
finest class of the human race. St. Paul was a sailor ; or if 
he wasn’t, he ought to have been ; for he was almost always 
at sea, and seemed to me to know much more about it than 
the other people on board the ship when she was wrecked ; 
and all would have been lost if it had not been for his 
knowledge of the profession when he was bitten by the boa 
constrictor, or the viper, or whatever the snake was — which 
can’t possibly be known, my dear, as the name was never 
written — very likely because St. Paul had no British Mu- 
seum to refer to. However, that does not alter the fact 
that Providence watches over sailors : thus we must thank 
Heaven for Ned’s safe return. A very handsome young 
man he is, indeed : so like his poor mother, as I remember 
her beautiful body when she was brought on shore, only 
she had no whiskers nor mustaches like Ned. I think he 
is rather young to have such fine whiskers,” continued the 
voluble and discursive Mrs. Jones ; “ only I have heard that 
in hot climates the hair grows at a much earlier age than 
in the temperate or the arctic zones. Ned must have been 
born in a hot climate, as the vessel that was lost was an 
Indiaman, therefore that may account in some measure for 
his very early whiskers. I think he is now about nineteen ; 
is he not, my dear ?” 


396 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


“ Twenty-one, mother,” replied Edith ; “ but I think he 
looks some years older.” 

“Well, my dear, it’s all the same, and there’s no doubt 
that he is a gentleman born, for his appearance is most no- 
ble ; and, in fact, he might be a king, or even an archbishop, 
for I never saw a more commanding figure ; but as there 
is no doubt about your affection for each other, it would be 
a comfort to know whether he ever had a father — that is 
to say, of course he must have had one, but it’s of no use 
having one if you don’t know who he is. You see, my 
dear, it would look so very odd in the papers to read the 
announcement of your marriage ( to Edward Grey, son of 
blank .’ Very odd, and not altogether proper.” 

At this moment Ned re-entered the room, and Mrs. 
Jones, with much consideration, found an excuse for ab- 
senting herself, and left him alone wdth Edith. 

An hour of intense happiness passed as though the in 
terval had been but a few minutes, when a sudden ring was 
heard at the door-bell, and shortly after the door opened 
and several constables entered the room. A man approach- 
ed Ned, and drawing a paper from his pocket, he presented 
a warrant for his apprehension, signed by James Stevens, 
upon the original charge for which Paul Grey had been 
committed. 

Never had Edith known the terrible feeling of hatred 
that now for the first time seized upon her. Base as Ste- 
vens was, she had never expected this quick revenge : he 
had dashed the cup of happiness from her lips. 

Pressing Edith to his heart, with a few words of com- 
fort, as the Sessions were drawing near, when he was cer- 
tain of an acquittal, Ned left the rectory in custody of the 
constables to be lodged in Falmouth jail. 


CHAPTER XXII. 


npiiE news of Ned Grey’s return had spread throughout 
the neighborhood, and his almost instantaneous arrest 
had excited the sympathy of all the female portion of the 
population. The whole county was interested in the event, 
which became the current topic of the day, and James 
Stevens, of Heron Hall, was regarded with universal detes- 
tation as the story became widely known. In the mean 
time, full of revenge, he lost no opportunity of seeking for 
evidence that might lead to Ned’s conviction. 

It was about a fortnight after Ned’s arrest, on a cold and 
stormy night, that a ring was heard at the back door of the 
rectory, and, shortly afterward, a servant entered the room 
in which Edith was sitting, with a message that a poor per- 
son from Sandy Cove wished to speak with her immediate- 
ly. A woman was shown into the room, who, wet and cold 
with the journey, had been sent by a dying man at the 
Cove to request the immediate attendance of Edith, as he 
had a most important communication to make that con- 
cerned her particularly. Regardless of the late hour and 
the stormy weather, Edith ordered the carriage without de- 
lay, and, accompanied by the messenger and Polly Grey, 
she at once drove to Sandy Cove, about five miles distant. 
Alighting at the cliff, they descended the zigzag path, and 
shortly arrived at the door of a hut formed of an inverted 
boat, from which a feeble light shone through a pane of 
glass fixed in the side. The messenger opened the door, 
and they entered. 

Lying upon a miserable bed was the emaciated figure 


398 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


of a man, who appeared to be in the last stage of his ex- 
istence. One of the neighbors was sitting by his side, who 
retired when Edith appeared, and the messenger, having 
approached, informed him in a gentle voice that Edith was 
present. 

“ Where is she ?” said the dying man : “ it’s very dark, 
bring her nearer to me. Yes !” he continued, as she drew 
near; “ now leave me with her alone, as I have much to say, 
and little strength to say it.” 

The messenger withdrew, and Edith, with some hesita- 
tion, leaned her ear close to the mouth of the exhausted man. 

He clasped his skinny hands together, and looking ear- 
nestly to her face, he exclaimed, “ Pardon, pardon ! give me 
pardon for my sins before I confess the whole !” 

“ What can I pardon, my good man ?” said Edith. “ God 
alone can grant forgiveness ; but tell me, if it will relieve 
you, what weighs so heavily upon your mind ?” 

“Murder!” gasped the wretched man; “it was I that 
murdered your father !” 

Startled with horror, Edith covered her eyes with her 
fland, and remained speechless. 

“Yes,” continued the man; “I will tell you all, for I 
shall not see another day, and I feel that hell awaits me if I 
die without your pardon. It was Mother Lee who planned 
the robbery, but I never intended murder. Jack Cain 
and I were always pals, and drink and dice led us to ruin. 
Mother Lee found out that the parson kept large sums 
of money in the house, and she put us up to the robbery. 
We hadn’t had a wreck for a long time, and we were hard 
up for cash, so we took the job. I saw you and young Ned 
Grey sitting in the church-yard that evening as we went to 
lie in wait. It was a Sunday night, and we broke in at the 
kitchen window. We got the cash, and had packed up the 
plate, when we heard a noise. 4 Don’t let us be nabbed,’ 


CAST UP By THE SEA. 


399 


said Cain. Just as he said this, the parson came into the 
room, with a candle in one hand and a pistol in the other. 
‘ Shoot him !’ said Cain, and I shot the poor man down, and 
we escaped without the plate. We got off through Mother 
Lee, who threw suspicion upon Paul and Ned Grey to serve 
them a bad turn, for she hated them to death.” 

“ Wretched man!” said Edith bitterly; “why did you 
not confess this earlier? Paul and Ned are now in prison 
on this false charge. Where is your companion, Cain ?” 

“ He was hanged two years ago for another murder, and 
left his poor wife to die of starvation. Since that time I 
took ill, and have never been well since. My lungs are 
gone. I shall never see another sunrise. I feel my end 
is close at hand. But I have still more to say,” said the 
dying man, as he was almost suffocated from exhaustion. 

Having rested for a few minutes,, he recovered sufficient- 
ly to continue. 

“ I confessed all this two weeks ago to a magistrate,” he 
said ; “ but he’s a bad ’un, and worse than I. I mean Squire 
Stevens of the Hall,” continued the man. “ I told him all, 
as I knew that I must die, and I didn’t wish innocent blood 
to be shed for me. I knew that Paul and Ned Grey had 
been arrested. The squire hates them both, and he gave 
me five golden guineas to hold my tongue. There they 
are, tied in the corner of that handkerchief beneath the bed. 
I had them behind the pillow, but I couldn’t get a wink of 
sleep since I took them, so I threw them under the bed. 
Give them to Paul, or to the poor. Give some to the wom- 
an who looks after me ; but beware of the squire, for the 
devil isn’t blacker than his heart, and he’ll ruin Paul and 
Ned if he can do it !” 

Polly Grey had been a witness to this important confes* 
sion. 

“ I’m lighter now,” continued the sick man. “ Say that 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


400 

you forgive me, Miss Edith, for I can not die without shud- 
dering at the future ; but if you pardon me, perhaps — per- 
haps God may also ; but I don’t know how to ask him. I 
never prayed to Him. I tried the other night, but I 
couldn’t do it. Pray for me, Miss Edith ; for Heaven’s 
sake, pray ! pray ! pray quickly, for I’m sinking down, 
down through the ground !” 

In the fearful excitement of the last troubled hour, the 
man who had never prayed sought for his neglected God. 

“May God forgive you as I do, poor miserable man,” 
said Edith ; “ but,” she continued, “ there is much to be 
done before you die. Your confession is worth nothing 
unless it is in a proper form : it must be written down.” 

“ Go !” said Edith to Polly Grey, “ and tell the coach- 
man to drive quickly to Captain Smart. Tell him to bring 
paper and ink, and to. come himself without losing a mo- 
ment.” 

Polly ran from the hut, and arrived breathless at the 
summit of the cliff. The rattle of the horses’ hoofs quick- 
ly replied to her message. 

A little more than an hour had passed, and Edith looked 
anxiously at her watch as the man appeared to be fast sink- 
ing, and she knew the importance of his dying deposition. 
At last hurried footsteps were heard without, succeeded by 
a quick and decided tap upon the door. 

“ Come in,” said Edith, and Joe Smart entered, accom- 
panied by one of the coast-guard. 

In a few words, spoken in a whisper, Edith had explain- 
ed all. Polly shook him affectionately by the hand as they ' 
had not met since Paul’s return, and without loss of time 
he wrote down the statement which the dying man feebly 
but distinctly repeated. The handkerchief, with five guin- 
eas tied up in one corner, was found beneath the bed. With 
much difficulty the sick man, supported by Joe Smart, sub- 


CAST UP BY THE SEA 401 

scribed his name to the deposition, which was witnessed hy 
Smart and the coast-guardsman, together with Edith and 
Polly Grey. 

“ This is all-important,” said Captain Smart, “ and it will 
checkmate that villain Stevens. We must be off to Fal- 
mouth by day-break to-morrow,” he continued ; “ the Ses- 
sions open, you are witnesses, and Paul and Ned will be 
tried on the following day. This deposition will save them 
both, and be the ruin of Stevens.” 

That night Captain Smart accompanied Edith and Polly 
Grey to the rectory, while the woman who had brought the 
message attended to the sick man. 

On the following morning Mrs. Jones, with Polly, Edith, 
and Captain Smart, started in the old family coach with 
four post-horses for Falmouth. As they had to pass Sandy 
Cove, they took various comforts, in the shape of cordials, 
jellies, and good substantial food, in case the sick man 
should be still alive. 

On arrival at the cliff, Edith accompanied Joe Smart to 
the hut, and, to her delight, she found the man was not only 
not dead, but better than during the previous night ; thus, 
leaving the wine and little luxuries with him, she returned 
to the carriage and posted rapidly toward Falmouth. 

The town was crowded, as the Sessions had commenced, 
and some difficulty was found in procuring rooms at a ho- 
tel. Without a moment’s delay Joe Smart went to the 
prison, accompanied by Polly Grey and Edith, to visit Paul 
and Ned, against whom a true bill had been found by the 
Grand Jury, upon which Stevens sat as a magistrate. The 
good news of the wrecker’s confession relieved their minds 
from all uncertainty, and Joe Smart immediately intrusted 
the deposition to the counsel for their defense. 

The day for the trial arrived, and Joe Smart having ob- 
tained seats, Edith and Polly Grey accompanied him to tha 


402 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


court, which was much crowded. Paul and Ned were al- 
ready standing at the bar. Two finer or more manly 
figures could hardly have been seen than those of the pris- 
oners, who surveyed the crowded court with a simple curi- 
osity and complete indifference until their eyes caught 
those of their own party. A murmur ran through the 
court as the people regarded Ned’s handsome face and dig- 
nified bearing, and loud whispers were heard, “ Impossible; 
he must be innocent !” until silence was enforced by order 
of the judge. 

They were both arraigned on the same charge, and in 
clear and decided tones they pleaded “ Not guilty.” 

The counsel for the prosecution in a short speech explain- 
ed to the jury the prominent features of the case, dwelling 
upon the salient facts that Paul and Ned, together with the 
negro Tim, now dead, had been missing in a mysterious 
manner on the day following the murder ; that Mother Lee 
had sworn that she had seen them, on their way to the vil- 
lage, on the same night that the burglary was committed ; 
and that the sum of two hundred guineas, which was the 
exact amount stolen from the rectory, had been discovered 
concealed, with valuable articles of jewelry, in a secret cave 
within the house of Paul Grey. Both the prisoners had 
been absent for years, and they had appeared in England 
within a few weeks of each other, with strange stories that 
required confirmation. The counsel then called as first wit- 
ness the widow, Mrs. Jones. Having given her umbrella 
to Captain Smart until her examination should be conclu- 
ded, she pushed her way with some difficulty to the witness- 
box, and was duly sworn. She then proceeded to describe 
the event in the following words : 

“ I remember the night well. My sainted husband was 
in bed with me on the right side. He never liked to sleep 
on the left, poor man, as he said the world turned round 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


403 


from west to east, or from east to west, I’m sure I forget 
which, but it doesn’t much signify. As I was saying, h <3 
was on my right side, fast asleep. He was a very good 
sleeper, poor man, but was very quick at hearing a noise in 
his sleep. Presently he was disturbed, which, of course, 
awoke me, for I am a very light sleeper, and he said : ‘Do 
you hear a noise, dear ?’ 4 No, darling,’ I said, 4 1 do not ; 

unless it’s the cat, that is always upsetting things under the 
pretense of catching mice ’ (in fact I believe, taking them 
as a whole, that cats do much more damage themselves than 
the mice and rats) ; don’t you think so, my lord ?” con- 
tinued Mrs. Jones, who now addressed the judge. 

44 Proceed with your description, madam, in as few words 
as possible,” replied the judge ; and Mrs. Jones continued : 

44 Well, my lord, and ladies, and gentlemen of the jury 
—1 beg your pardon, gentlemen, I forgot there were no 
ladies on the jury; but why there should not be, I’m sure 
I can not understand, for ladies are just as — ” 

Here Mrs. Jones was stopped by the judge, and inform- 
ed that she must confine herself to the actual description of 
what took place on the night of the murder. 

44 Well, my lord and gentlemen of the jury,” she contin- 
ued, 44 as I said to my dear husband, I think it’s the cat : 
for you know how he broke my large china bowl the other 
night with his mouse-catching, which I dare say was an 
excuse for love-making or milk-stealing, for they’re deceit- 
ful creatures. ‘Well,’ I said, 4 my dear, there’s nothing 
like seeing for one’s self, so you had better get up and look 
if you can see in the dark ; but perhaps it would be better 
to light a candle.’ My dear husband then got out of bed 
and put on his dressing-gown for fear of catching cold, for 
he was very subject to sore throat ; and then taking a pis- 
tol (which I was always afraid of, for I think fire-arms are 
dangerous things, and I think it’s a pity that they were 
26 


404 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


ever invented), he said to me, ‘ My darling, that’s not a cat ; 
I hear people in the house — they are thieves !’ My dear 
husband was afraid of nothing, and he begged me to ring 
the alarm-bell, but I was too frightened to do any thing but 
lie beneath the bedclothes. Presently I heard a shot fired, 
and I got out of bed and fainted on the floor. That is all 
I knew of the affair, my lord, until I saw my poor husband’s 
body.” Here Mrs. Jones became deeply affected, and she 
sent to Captain Smart for her handkerchief, which she had 
intrusted to his keeping, with her umbrella. 

During this rambling description, that was delivered 
with her usual volubility, the jury had been engaged in an 
examination of the various trinkets that had been discover- 
ed in Paul’s house, together with the bag of two hundred 
guineas. 

Edith having been called as a witness, gave her evidence 
m a plain straightforward manner that excited the admira- 
tion of the court. She concluded by declaring her convic- 
tion that when her dying father had mentioned the name of 
Ned Grey, to whom he was much attached, he had intend- 
ed to give her some advice concerning their intimacy, as 
the subject that was nearest to his heart, and that he had 
no intention of connecting his name with the fearful trag- 
edy. 

At this stage of the proceedings the counsel for the de- 
fense rose suddenly, and holding in his hand the deposition 
of the sick man, he requested permission to make a few re- 
marks, as, from respect to the court, he could no longer al- 
low the case to proceed without laying this important docu- 
ment before the judge. 

“ My lord,” he continued, “ and gentlemen of the jury, I 
am prepared to prove that the charge against the prisoner 
is not only false, but that it originated in the conspiracy of 
a woman named Lee, now dead, which has, I am ashamed 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


405 


to declare, been supported by a man who not only occupies 
a high social position in this county, but who is himself a 
magistrate, and at the present moment is a member of the 
Grand Jury. The document that I hold in my hand, and 
which I am about to read to the court, to save valuable 
time and to stay further proceedings, is the actual confes- 
sion of the true murderer ! deposed by him when he imag- 
ined himself dying, and witnessed by four persons. It is 
as follows : 

“ ‘ I, Thomas Jackson, a dying man, do positively declare 
upon my oath, as I hope for pardon for my sins hereafter, 
that I am the murderer of the Rev. Henry Jones; ana 
that, in company with one John Cain, since hanged for mur- 
der, I broke into the rectory of the said Henry Jones, and 
effected an entrance by forcing the kitchen window. Hav- 
ing stolen in cash a bag containing two hundred guineas, 
which we took from a writing-desk, we were disturbed while 
packing up the plate within a blanket by the appearance of 
the Rev. Henry Jones, who held a pistol in one hand and a 
lighted candle in the other. Cain cried, ‘ Shoot him !’ and 
I fired the pistol which shot him down. We then escaped 
with the money. The burglary was planned by a woman 
of Sandy Cove, well known as Mother Lee, since dead. 
She swore falsely that she met Paul and Red Grey, togeth- 
er with a negro named Tim, on the road from the rectory 
on the night of the murder. These persons are perfectly 
innocent, and knew nothing of the matter ; but to save us. 
and to spite those whom she hated, Mother Lee conspired 
against them. I feared to die with this load upon my mind, 
and about fourteen days ago I sent to a magistrate to say 
that I wished to tell him all about the murder. 

“ ‘ Squire Stevens, of Heron Hall, was that magistrate. 
He came to me, and I told him all. He told me not to be 
such a fool as to inculpate myself, as I should be surelv 


406 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


hanged, but to let the law take its course, as it would be 
better for me if I saved my neck and let Paul and Ned Grey 
be hanged instead. He gave me five golden guineas to hold 
my tongue. I took the guineas, but I couldn’t sleep, and 
got frightened at night when I was alone. I knew the 
squire was a scoundrel, and I could not wrong Miss Edith 
by letting her marry such a man without some warning, 
after having killed her father ; so I sent to her to make this 
confession, and to ask her forgiveness for my crime. — Sign- 
ed, Thomas Jackson, in the presence of Edith Jones, Mary 
Grey, Joseph Smart, and John Edwards.’ 

“ My lord,” continued the counsel, “ and gentlemen of 
the jury, this confession terminates this extraordinary case, 
and, leaving the prisoners in your hands, I shall call no other 
witnesses but one. I charge James Stevens with fraudu- 
lent conspiracy, for which he shall answer to the laws of his 
country. Call Thomas Jackson,” continued the counsel. 

After some little delay, during which Stevens, who was 
pale as ashes, had endeavored to slip out of court, but had 
been recalled, a miserable-looking man, who appeared near- 
ly dead, was brought in upon a stretcher, and Thomas Jack- 
son, who had been secured for the occasion by Captain 
Smart, and conveyed in a carriage from Sandy Cove, repeat- 
ed the substance of his deposition and pointed out Stevens, 
to whom he swore personally. 

The Court was amazed at the confession of the spectral 
murderer who thus declared his guilt. Paul and Ned Grey 
shared in the surprise occasioned by his unexpected and 
cadaverous appearance. The sick man was immediately 
taken possession of by the police, and the stretcher was 
raised by four men to be carried out of court. At this mo- 
ment a violent convulsion seized upon the now really dying 
man, whose last energies had been expended in the 8trug« 
gle to deliver his confession. With drawn and contracted 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


407 


features he fell back upon the stretcher, and, after a few 
painful gasps for breath, his body remained in custody of 
the earthly authorities, but his soul was summoned beforo 
a higher judge. 

Great excitement was caused in court by this distressing 
scene; it was hardly quieted when the judge addressed the 
jury previous to their dismissal. He was a calm, dignified- 
looking man, of about fifty-five years of age, tall, with hand- 
some features, but shaded with a peculiar cast of sadness. 
He requested that the trinkets and the bag of guineas should 
be handed to him for inspection. The diamond necklace 
and locket, together with the rings, and also the parcel of 
hair that Polly Grey had saved from the drowned lady, 
were laid before him, while the counsel for the defense in 
a few words explained how they had come into the Greys’ 
possession when Ned, as an infant, was washed ashore with 
the locket round his neck. 

The judge examined the trinkets for a few minutes and 
turned deadly pale. He then touched a spring in the lock- 
et, of which Polly had been ignorant ; it flew open, and ex- 
posed the portrait of an exceedingly handsome man of about 
thirty in a cavalry uniform : this strongly resembled the 
judge. 

“ What is the matter with his lordship ? Bring water !” 
said several voices, as the judge, having opened the parcel 
that contained the long fair hair, fell back on his seat for 
the moment overpowered by faintness. Water was quick- 
ly brought, and recovering his calmness by a great effort, 
he looked fixedly at Ned Grey for some minutes in silence; 
“ Edward Grey,” he at length said, “ retire with the usher 
to my private room.” Ned Grey shortly found himself 
alone in the judge’s private chamber. 

Excusing himself for a few minutes on the plea of indis- 
position, the judge left the court, and entered the room 


408 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


where Ned remained alone. Advancing directly toward 
him, he seized both his hands, and as he stared intently in 
his face the tears rolled down his cheeks. Suddenly clasp- 
ing him in his arms, the judge pressed him fervently to his 
breast, as he exclaimed in an agony of intense feeling : “ My 
son ! my child ! cast up by the sea ! At last I know your 
poor mother’s fate ! this is her own dear hair ; the necklace, 
the rings, all were hers ; the locket, with my portrait, I gave 
her on our wedding-day. She left for England, with you an 
infant, on the Calcutta Indiaman ; the ship was never heard 
of; and until now I never knew her fate. You are Edward 
Neville — not Edward Grey. My own child ! my son !” 

Ned was bewildered with astonishment. He returned 
with affection his father’s passionate embrace ; he could 
hardly realize the situation. He had already been told that 
Polly was not his own mother, and he now discovered that 
the grave upon which he had often sat as a boy, and won- 
dered at the melancholy epitaph, covered the bones of £ 
parent whom he had never known. 


CHAPTER XXIII. 


C ATHERINE NEVILLE, Ned’s unfortunate and love- 
ly mother, had been forced by ill health to leave her 
husband in India after the birth of her first child, the hero 
of this story. At that time Sir Charles Neville was a caval- 
ry officer in the East India Company’s army, but after the 
mysterious disappearance of the vessel in which his young 
wife and child were lost, he had become melancholy, and 
had given up the army. Returned to England, he entered 
at the bar, and distinguished himself by extraordinary abili- 
ty until he at length became a judge. The early sorrow of 
his life had made a deep impression upon him from which 
he had never recovered. He was a man of large fortune, 
who had inherited the title and estates from his father, who 
was a baronet in the county of Devonshire; thus Ned, as 
we must still call him, suddenly found himself a man of 
both means and position. 

The Sessions were over, and Sir Charles Neville now 
formed one of the party at the rectory of Stoke, as Ned had 
confided to him his affection for Edith, to whom he could 
have no possible objection ; in fact, he was perfectly de- 
lighted with her good qualities, which, in addition to her 
beauty, brought her as near to perfection as any woman 
could attain. 

Sir Charles Neville’s first visit was to the church-yard of 
Stoke, where he found the simple inscription on the cross 
stone above his young wife’s grave, which he shortly 
changed, as the mystery of the “ lady unknown ” had been 


410 


CAST UP BY THE SEA, 


dispelled. He accompanied Ned to Sandy Cove, where 
Paul and Polly Grey had already taken possession of the 
pretty old cottage on the cliff ; there he sat upon the terrace- 
wall and listened to the sad story of the wreck, as Polly de- 
scribed that fatal night, and pointed out the spot where she 
and Paul had discovered his lovely young wife floating 
drowned upon the surface, with her long fair hair that they 
had at first mistaken for yellow sea-weed. 

Polly Grey then showed him the spot where Ned, as an 
infant, had been washed on shore, and she omitted nothing 
in her description of the boy’s early life until the time when 
he had been taken on board the Sybille. 

A few days after he had visited Sandy Cove Paul Grey 
and Polly received a letter from Sir Charles Neville ex- 
pressing his warm acknowledgments for all the parental 
kindness they had shown his son Ned, when friendless and 
destitute, and informing them that a sum of £3000 was 
lodged to Paul Grey’s credit at the bank in Falmouth, 
which he trusted would in some measure testify his admi- 
ration of their generosity, and render them independent for 
the remainder of their lives. 

This sudden and unexpected wealth hardly compensated 
Polly Grey for the loss of Ned, whom she loved as her own 
son, and who now would most probably leave the neighbor- 
hood of his old home. Neither could Ned quite enjoy his 
new position without a feeling of regret at the startling 
change. He had received from Polly the care and affection 
of a mother, which he returned as warmly ; and he deter- 
mined that no alteration in his social position should lessen 
the filial gratitude that he owed to her. Delighted that 
his father had thus generously provided for his adopted 
parents, Ned now longed to make Edith his own without 
delay. 

In the mean time James Stevens had been arrested on a 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


41 ) 


charge of conspiracy. He had been liberated upon bail to 
appear at the next Sessions, but although freed from ar- 
rest, he was scouted by all who knew him. When he rode 
through the village the boys pelted him, and he was insult- 
ed continually in the streets; his life was a constant tor- 
ment. In spite of his callous nature he had loved Edith to 
desperation ; he had been scorned by her ; she was now in 
the arms of his rival, who, no longer the foundling Ned 
Grey, was heir to his father’s title and estates. Every thing 
had turned against him. Edith had returned to him the 
horse and dog that he had presented to her. He shot them 
both immediately. 

But it was not only the world that was against him, it 
was the law that he dreaded ; he could hardly escape im- 
prisonment for the conspiracy of which he had been guilty. 
At all events, he would be forever disgraced. 

Thus tormented in mind, Stevens was without a single 
friend to whom he could turn for comfort or advice ; he 
had not even a dog that loved him. Months passed away ; 
the day drew near when the Sessions would commence, and 
Stevens’s bail would expire ; he would have to surrender 
himself for trial. 

It was a lovely day in spring, as warm as midsummer ; 
the bright green leaves had clothed the trees with their 
new-born foliage ; the hawthorn was in full blossom ; the 
blue-bells, and primroses on the banks, and the wild roses 
in the hedges, gave a hopeful glow to the scene as Nature 
seemed to rejoice that the icy fetters of winter were broken, 
and she w*as once more free to revel in her beauties. It 
was a time when all should have been happy : there was a 
peaceful calm in the soft air, broken only by the songs of 
the skylark, and other birds that sang joyfully among the 
tall trees. The hens, proud of their young broods, busied 
themselves in a search for iuseets for the newly-hatehe$ 


412 


CAST VP BY THE SEA . 


chickens ; goslings, like balls of golden down, floated upon 
the ponds of the farm-yards ; young foals gambolled in the 
fields, which resounded with the bleating of the now hardy 
lambs, and the earth had awakened to the command, “ In- 
crease and multiply.” Could any one be unhappy in such 
a scene ? 

It was the morning, and James Stevens walked hastily 
to and fro on the broad terrace before his mansion that 
commanded a view of the sea, with the tall spire of the vil- 
lage of Stoke sheltered in the vale about three miles distant. 
All was beautiful and calm in nature, but there was no peace 
within his heart. His face was haggard with care, and 
deep lines already furrowed his features, while a gloomy 
frown had settled upon his brow. There was a mighty oak 
upon the lawn, whose gnarled branches cast a shadow far 
and wide : beneath this tree was a rustic seat, upon which 
Stevens presently sat for a few minutes, and then rose again 
in his restless humor. 

He started. “Ha !” he said, “ the bells ! all happy but 
myself. Death and confusion seize them ! They are the 
Stoke church-bells ! He marries her this morning ; and 1 
am lost, despised, trampled down, disgraced, and my enemy 
triumphs !” 

Stevens folded his arms, and biting his lips till the blood 
flowed, he slowly raised his head and looked steadfastly 
among the branches of the tree. 

In the mean time, while his evil spirit held possession of 
him, and he brooded savagely over his defeat, all was joy 
and happiness at Stoke. It was the day for Edith's mar^ 
riage. The church-bells were ringing merrily, and the vil- 
lage people were gayly dressed in their best clothes, while 
the approach from the rectory to the church was ornament 
ed with triumphal arches of leaves and flowers ; the path 
way through the church-yard was carpeted and thickly 


CAST UP BY TEE SEA. 


413 


strewn with sweet-scented blossoms, and lined on either 
side by rows of prettily-dressed children, all of whom loved 
Edith and delighted in the happiness of the day. 

Ned was already standing in the church, accompanied bj 
Captain Smart, who acted as bridegroom’s man. The noise 
of many wheels was heard, and the string of carriages 
approached, as Edith, having alighted, was received with 
cheers from the assembled throng of village children as she 
was led by Sir Charles Neville along the flowery pathway. 
Never had she looked so lovely, and as Ned received her at 
the altar, before which they knelt together, the blessings of 
the multitude were expressed in simple but earnest words, 
“ God spare them to live happily together.” 

Once more the bells pealed merrily as Ned led his bride 
from the church-door, and the children and women shower- 
ed sweet nosegays before their feet, amid the loud hurrahs 
of many hundred voices. 

“ One cheer more,” shouted Captain Smart, as with his 
only remaining hand he waved his cap above his head, and 
led the “ Hip ! hip ! hip ! hurrah !” 

“ What a nice dear man he is !” said Mrs. Jones to Polly 
Grey ; “ how I do love a sailor ! What a pity that he does 
not marry ; he would make such a perfect husband ! al- 
though, by-the-by, my dear, with only one arm he would be 
an imperfect husband, certainly, but it’s all the same thing 
in the end. I do so wish Captain Smart would think of 
marriage.” 

The happy day was nearly over ; the guests were gone, 
and only Mr. Banks, the clergyman who had officiated, re- 
mained. Ned called him on one side. 

“ My dear sir,” said he, “ to me this is a day of such 
true and perfect joy, after all the difficulties and dangers of 
my life, that I can not rest so long as I have an enemy 
whom I have not forgiven. There is one whom you know, 


414 


C AST UP BY THE SEA . 


James Stevens, the squire — who has through life, even 
from early boyhood, hated me with an uncalled-for intern 
sity, although I would have made him my friend. Act for 
me as a peace-maker, I pray you. Go to him and tell him 
from me that I will forget every injury, and I trust that the 
past may be forgotten on both sides. Say to him that I 
stretch out my hand, and let him receive it in sincerity.” 

The good-natured clergyman would hear of no delay, but, 
happy in the office of peace-maker, he returned home, and 
mounting his pony, he rode at once to Heron Hall. 

The moon was full when he started, and upon his strong 
black cob he trotted quickly forward. 

On arrival at the entrance lodge he had to dismount to 
open the gate, as the porter and his family were enjoying 
themselves in the village, where a grand feast for all comers 
had been prepared by Mrs. Jones. Having passed through, 
he rode up the long avenue of elm-trees until he arrived at 
the oak upon the lawn, the branches of which overhung the 
carriage-drive. 

As the moon shone through the tree, it cast a horrible 
shadow upon the ground before the horse’s feet ; the animal 
shied, and nearly gave the clergyman a fall. At this mo- 
ment an owl upon the boughs gave a shrill and wild “ too- 
hoo, too-hoo, too-hoo, too-hoo, too-hoo-o-o-o-o !” The pony 
startled, turned sharp round, and threw its rider heavily 
upon the lawn beneath the tree, while it galloped off in the 
direction of the village. 

Mr. Banks, half-stunned and giddy with the fall, rose 
from the ground. He was not naturally superstitious, but 
/ie had an indescribable feeling of something terrible. There 
was an old swing upon the oak, and the creak of the iron 
hook now jarred in his ear as the wind swung it to and fro. 
He started at a shadow on the ground. It looked like a 
human being suspended by the neck to a naked and wither* 




DISCOVERY OF THE BODY OF JEM STEVENS. 



CAST UP BY THE SEA. 411 

ed branch. He looked up, and the first object that met his 
view was the body of a man hanging from one of the ropes 
that had formed the swing. The feet were only a yard 
from the ground. 

Without an instant’s delay the terrified clergyman rush- 
ed frantically to the Hall and rang the door-bell loudly. It 
was quickly answered. “A ladder and a knife !” cried the 
clergyman. “ Where is the squire ?” 

“ The squire said he was going to Stoke, sir,” replied the 
astonished servant. 

“ Quick with the knife and ladder ! A man has hung 
himself on the oak-tree !” continued Mr. Banks. 

In a few minutes several servants, with a knife and a lad- 
der, had accompanied him to the oak, and the rope being 
quickly severed, the body was let down. 

A cry of horror and surprise was uttered by all present 
as they recognized the swollen and discolored features of 
James Stevens. 

****** 

Nearly two years had passed away since that fatal night. 
The rectory once more resounded with the shouts of merry 
boys, as Mr. Banks had married Mrs. Jones, and kept a 
school. She had comforted herself with the idea that “ a 
minister of the Gospel was a more godly man than a sailor, 
not that sailors were ungodly, as St. Paul was a sailor, or 
very nearly one ; it didn’t matter which, so long as he went 
to sea : but the hearts of ministers of the Gospel were not 
so hard as those of sailors, as they were not so much ex- 
posed to the wind and weather. Captain Smart had been 
very much exposed. It was a very great pity, for he was a 
very perfect specimen of a British sailor — that is to say, he 
would have been if he hadn’t lost an arm ; but a minister of 
the Gospel, with a tender heart and two arms, was certain- 
ly a more perfect husband than a British sailor with a tough 


418 


CAST UP BY THE bEA. 


heart and only one arm.” Thus Mrs. Jones comforted her- 
self with her own peculiar logic. 

The cottage on the cliff at Sandy Cove had been much 
beautified and re-furnished. There was a large porch, fitted 
with seats, and shaded with woodbine and sweet clematis : 
here Paul Grey delighted to sit with his still handsome wife, 
and smoke his pipe on a long summer evening, and talk 
over old times as he looked upon the sea. It was then that 
the well-known step was often heard, and Joe Smart appear- 
ed as in days of old ; and the two friends, who loved each 
other like twin brothers, would chat over the adventurous 
deeds of their youth, while Polly knitted and listened un- 
tiringly to their oft-repeated tales. There was a pretty 
smart-looking lugger anchored in the bay, much resembling 
the old Polly , and christened with her name. Now that 
Ned Grey was gone, this vessel was Paul’s only child. 
Often would he cruise with his old friend Joe Smart (for he 
had long given up all dealings in contraband), and he de- 
lighted to point out to the revenue-officer the places where 
he had run a cargo, and tell how the old Polly had dodged 
the Government cruisers and laughed at their fastest cut- 
ters. 

“Ah, those were good old times !” Paul would exclaim, 
as he laughed at his friend Smart. “ The old Polly was a 
saucy boat that was too sharp even for a certain Captain 
Smart of his Majesty’s coast-guard.” 

Whatever the good qualities and questionable virtues of 
the old Polly might have been, Paul’s new lugger bore an 
unblemished reputation. 

N ed and Edith lived happily with Sir Charles Neville at 
Elmley Court, his seat in Devon, whence they sometimes 
went to visit the cottage at Sandy Cove, to the great delight 
of Paul and Polly Grey. 

It was a lovely day in August, the anniversary of that 


CAST UP BY THE SEA. 


419 


when Ned as an infant had been washed on shore. He and 
Edith were expected at the Cove. The carriage-wheels 
were heard upon the cliff, and Polly rushed out upon the 
terrace to meet her anxiously-awaited guests. 

Edith had a treasure that she longed to exhibit to her 
old friend Polly Grey. It was her first child, a boy about 
four months old; she had christened it Edward Grey Ne- 
ville. 

Descending the zigzag path with the child in her arms, 
wrapped in a warm shawl, Edith followed Ned, and then 
ascending from the little village by the steep footway, she 
arrived on the terrace in front of the old cottage. 

After the first loving greeting, Polly, who considered 
herself the grandmother of Ned’s child, hastily withdrew 
the shawl from the face of the lovely infant and took it in 
her arms. Gently kissing its sleeping face, she regarded it 
attentively for some moments, and exclaimed, “Three-and* 
twenty years have passed away this very day, and they 
seem but as yesterday ! Here is the child ! the same in face 
and age as that little Ned Grey that I pressed to my breast 
and nursed as my own — a blessing from God to my child 
lees home — a son cast up by the sea!” 


THE END. 

































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